The search for a runaway spectacled caiman has ended after the reptile was found hiding under a drainage cover in a gutter on Tuesday night, two days after it escaped from its owner’s home in Hsinchu County.
The 24-year-old crocodilian, named Hsiao E (小鱷), or Little E, was spotted in a gutter about 800m from its home in Jhubei City (竹北), where its footprints were detected by a group of street patrol and animal protection volunteers led by Sinlun Borough (新崙) Warden Liu Tan-kuei (劉旦貴).
Liu said that the reptile, reported missing on Monday, had been captured on surveillance cameras strolling in a gutter in a lane off Jhonghua Road and walking on Guangming 14th Street before it disappeared into a drain next to a nearby temple.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
The search continued on Tuesday, but volunteers did not find the caiman during the day, as it was likely hiding in an effort to stay cool during the hot weather, Liu said.
Figuring that the cold-blooded animal was somewhere in the cool underground drainage system, the search team opened drainage covers one after another and eventually found it at about 10pm that day.
Liu said that its owner, a local blogger nicknamed Sashimi, thanked all those who helped find her pet.
Measuring about 130cm long, the reptile was described by Sashimi as timid and shy, and said it would not attack people unless it felt threatened.
During her search for the runaway caiman, Sashimi apologized for the nuisance caused by her negligence.
She said she adopted Hsiao E after its original owner passed away.
The caiman is characterized by a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes, and is native to central and southern America, according to Shoushan Zoo.
Although raising a spectacled caiman is not illegal in Taiwan, setting it free without the permission of the authorities can result in a fine of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 (US$1,788 to US$8,939), according to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
If the animal causes harm to the local ecosystem, its owner could be further fined NT$500,000 to NT$2.5 million.
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