PHUKET: A fisherman on a Sunday outing got a bite at a Phuket pond today. A very big bite.
When Kamchai Sangsuwan, 32, goes fishing, he understand the virtue of patience.
After two hours dangling a line at a pond in central Phuket today, he finally hooked something. There seemed to be a quite large one hooked - perhaps a big feed for him this evening.
Only when he reeled in the line did he discover that his catch might actually like to make a meal out of him one day.
''It was a crocodile,'' Khun Kamchai said. ''I reckon it must have been 80 centimetres long and weighed about two kilos.''
For once, Khun Kamchai was not exaggerating the way fishermen usually do, as Phuketwan's photos show. The fisherman called in officers from Thalang Police Station.
Villagers around the pond at Moo 4, Bang Jo in Phuket's Srisoonthorn district were quick to gather.
Some saw the advent of the crocodile as a sign of good luck and aimed to buy lottery tickets on the strength of it. Others were less inclined to smile.
The juvenile crocodile, meanwhile, was passed on to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre at Cape Panwa on Phuket's east coast.
Crocodiles are unknown on Phuket, although one was fished out of a lagoon at Laguna Phuket in similar circumstances several years ago.
Locals figure the exotic pets, easily kept in small aquariums when young, have outgrown their welcome.
The owners probably preferred to have their pets free in a Phuket pond rather than turned into handbags.
When Kamchai Sangsuwan, 32, goes fishing, he understand the virtue of patience.
After two hours dangling a line at a pond in central Phuket today, he finally hooked something. There seemed to be a quite large one hooked - perhaps a big feed for him this evening.
Only when he reeled in the line did he discover that his catch might actually like to make a meal out of him one day.
''It was a crocodile,'' Khun Kamchai said. ''I reckon it must have been 80 centimetres long and weighed about two kilos.''
For once, Khun Kamchai was not exaggerating the way fishermen usually do, as Phuketwan's photos show. The fisherman called in officers from Thalang Police Station.
Villagers around the pond at Moo 4, Bang Jo in Phuket's Srisoonthorn district were quick to gather.
Some saw the advent of the crocodile as a sign of good luck and aimed to buy lottery tickets on the strength of it. Others were less inclined to smile.
The juvenile crocodile, meanwhile, was passed on to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre at Cape Panwa on Phuket's east coast.
Crocodiles are unknown on Phuket, although one was fished out of a lagoon at Laguna Phuket in similar circumstances several years ago.
Locals figure the exotic pets, easily kept in small aquariums when young, have outgrown their welcome.
The owners probably preferred to have their pets free in a Phuket pond rather than turned into handbags.
There was a long time ago a croc farm in the heart of patong believe it or not, the only reason we found out was some escaped and one was caught in soi ban boon tam by bob the builder from Burma maybe this is one of their offspring that avoided the cooking pot or escaped being turned into a handbag.
Posted by Scunner on April 1, 2013 00:43