A baby crocodile has just been saved by police officers from the Val-de-Marne departmental anti-crime brigade. The 40 cm long reptile, buried in a box of snacks, couldn't even move.
Two of the young people were arrested on the spot. The crocodile was entrusted to a specialized structure and is now safe. In France, the penalty for wildlife trafficking is three years' imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 euros. The young animal, a few months old, had fallen from an apartment. The owner took him to the vet before disappearing, knowing full well that the police would track him down. The animal, undoubtedly purchased for a few thousand euros, had been treated and has been living in a shelter ever since. The reptile is probably an undeclared birth. It's a juvenile [which can be] resold for aFew euros and probably to take photos while it grows. Normally it must be chipped and the owner identifiable. When the animal becomes too big, things get complicated.