site.btaUPDATED Presence of Crocodile in Sofia Suburb Raises Questions

The mayor of the Kremikovtsi borough in Sofia alerted the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) and the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency about the presence of a crocodile in the Sofia suburb of Botunets. The reptile was detected by employees of the borough administration.

The animal inhabits a pool built on municipal-owned land. A check is underway, RIEW told BTA. They said a herpetologist is at the site to identify the exact species to which the animal belongs, whether it is formally registered, and whether the authorities have permitted it to be kept as a pet.

Sofia Zoo Director Dobromir Borislavov confirmed to BTA that his institution has sent an expert to the site to assist RIEW. It is necessary to identify the species and to decide whether the animal should be confiscated. Borislavov said: "We will help as best we can, because it is not normal for such a rare animal to be raised in such lousy conditions. From what I hear, the conditions are highly inadequate, not to say very bad, and RIEW will probably decide to confiscate the animal and put it in the Sofia Zoo."

The expert warned that keeping wild animals as pets can be dangerous. "While still young, wild animals are very cute, but as they grow up, they become dangerous, and their owners are sometimes unaware of the risks," he explained.

Kremikovtsi Borough Mayor Liliya Donkova told BTA that a resident of Botunets called them about three weeks ago to say that someone in the area was raising a crocodile. When employees of the local administration visited the place, they saw that a crocodile was, indeed, kept in an enclosed property. They took photos, and the documents presented by the man were referred to RIEW. Nothing has been done about the alert since then, Donkova said.

"RIEW people finally came, we brought the zoo expert, he said he knew about the crocodile, it is 1.5 metres long, he said," Donkova recalled.

According to her, the crocodile is kept in a plastic pool. "The zoo will take it away, but this requires a letter of recommendation from RIEW," she added.

Donkova noted that locals are worried. A woman who was passing by the property a week ago reported that the crocodile was by the sidewalk. "The space it inhabits is not enclosed anymore. It was enclosed during our first check," the Mayor said, and went on to note: "The crocodile is restricted, but it is a strong animal and can break that rope".