Crocodile in the Streets of an Egyptian Neighborhood: Full Details of the Strange Incident

 

Crocodile Sparks Panic Among Residents

Crocodile in the Streets of an Egyptian Neighborhood: Full Details of the Strange Incident

While residents of the Hadayek El-Ahram neighborhood, west of Cairo, were carrying out their daily activities, they were surprised to find a crocodile approximately one meter long roaming freely in front of a group of houses, causing panic.

 The incident began when some residents of the area found the crocodile, which was wandering calmly and appeared to be searching for something to eat. However, what sparked controversy was the area's remoteness from any water sources from which the creepy creature could have come.

A security source in the Giza Security Directorate revealed that the Hadayek El-Ahram Police Station received a report from citizens about the crocodile, coinciding with another report received by the Giza Governorate Emergency Room, prompting immediate action from relevant authorities. The source added that initial investigations indicated that the crocodile was owned by a person who was unable to care for it due to its different nature, which prompted him to "let it out" into the street.

He explained that security forces affiliated with the Giza Security Directorate tracked the crocodile's movements through cameras installed in the Pyramids Gardens area and discovered that it had escaped from a house after its owner became unable to care for it. He continued, "The crocodile's owner bought it with the intention of taking videos with it and posting them on social media, and appearing with it in live videos, with the aim of generating profits and receiving more gifts that could be converted into cash."

Security forces tracked the camera footage and found that the young man, who turned out to be in his thirties and works in photography, was arrested by the authorities and taken to the police station. The young man admitted to possessing the crocodile to "boast about owning a predatory animal," revealing that he had purchased it from a reptile shop in downtown Cairo a few weeks ago, with the intention of exploiting it on social media.

According to a security source, the young man confirmed that he had been keeping the crocodile in a water tank in his apartment, but had failed to care for or handle it over the past few days due to his lack of prior experience. This prompted him to release it into the street. Investigations by Egyptian security services revealed that the accused did not have a permit authorizing him to possess predatory reptiles, a clear violation of the Environmental and Wildlife Protection Law, subjecting him to penalties that may include imprisonment.

Mohamed Abdel Moneim of the Giza Governorate said that the governorate received a report that the crocodile was found wandering in front of a property in the Pyramids Gardens area. He added, in an interview with Sky Use Arabia, that the relevant authorities immediately moved to capture the crocodile from the street and are currently keeping it under observation and examination, in preparation for its transfer to the Giza Zoo, which is considered the entity capable of providing it with special care.

The governorate official stressed the need for stores specializing in the sale of reptiles and predatory animals of all kinds to ensure that the purchaser has a permit to possess these animals, which pose a danger if they escape or are not cared for properly. Environmental lawyer Mohamed Abu El-Ela said that the law regulating the possession of dangerous animals stipulates severe penalties for those found not to have a license to possess these animals. Articles 15, 16, and 17 stipulate severe penalties for such possession.

He said, "The law imposes a six-month prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds for assaulting others using a dangerous animal. The penalty may reach one year in prison if the assault is premeditated and deliberate." Regarding crocodile possession, Abu El-Ela said that crocodiles "are considered dangerous predators and are subject to the harsher provisions of the law, in addition to other legal issues related to gross negligence that threatens the lives of others."