Three men were arrested in South Africa on Monday for stealing a 2.5-meter (8-foot) long Nile crocodile worth approximately $1,300 from a farm in the North West province, according to police.
The men, aged 20 to 35, are thought to have used a pick-up truck to transport the crocodile from a crocodile farm in the Hartbeesfontein area, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Johannesburg.
The crocodile was discovered in an abandoned farmhouse, bound with rope and wire. According to police, the men attempted to conceal it by covering it with tree branches. The police also discovered the pick-up truck. The men were apprehended last week and are due in court on Monday.
Police are investigating how they managed to get the large crocodile out of the farm, which had secure fencing, police spokeswoman Col. Adele Myburgh said.
“How did they slip this animal out?” she said. “It’s not a baby crocodile by any means.”
Myburgh said the crocodile was badly dehydrated when it was found by a team of police officers and animal conservation officials.
The crocodile has been “returned to its rightful owner,” police said. They released a photo of it swimming in its pool at the farm.
While South Africa has a problem with poaching, crocodiles are rarely targeted due to their dangerous nature.
According to Myburgh, the motive for the theft is still being investigated, but crocodile body parts such as skin, nails, and teeth are valuable, and the men may have planned to kill the animal and sell its parts.