Crocodile chaos: Unlicensed reptile found in Sofia's backyard pool
A crocodile was discovered in a pool in one of Sofia's districts. The owner had no documents but was adamant and did not want to hand the animal to the zoo.
City officials in Sofia received a report that someone had seen a crocodile in a pool in the Botunets district.
Crocodile in the pool
When they arrived, they encountered a reptile over 2 metres long. They called veterinary services, who quickly transported it to a safe location.
Surprised by the commotion, the crocodile owners claimed they were circus performers and had all the necessary documents, allowing them to keep the crocodile.
When the services asked them to show the documents, it turned out that they had none, and worse, they could not prove that the crocodile was legally brought into the country. However, the owner was adamant and argued for an hour that he would not give up the crocodile because he did not understand on what basis he should do so. According to local media, he was afraid that if the animal were sedated, it would die. - The zoo staff assured it would only be sedated and then captured and relocated.
Ultimately, it was decided that the crocodile would stay in the pool for another night, and its chip and documents would be checked the next day, 7th August. We decided to postpone it until tomorrow to avoid causing a "house of madness," informed the Regional Environmental and Water Inspection staff from Sofia.
Illegally kept wild animals
This is not the first case of keeping a wild animal in unsuitable conditions in Bulgaria.
A few years ago, there was much talk about tigers being kept in an illegal private zoo.
