Police Step Up Search for Crocodile

June 28, 2001 9:08 am EST

ELTVILLE, Germany (Reuters) - German police stepped up their search for a crocodile first seen swimming in the Rhine nearly a week ago and warned bathers to avoid the river.

Police in the town of Eltville near Wiesbaden said Wednesday they were scouring the river with a helicopter and patrol boat after new sightings removed any doubt the animal existed.

The crocodile was first spotted last week more than 60 miles upstream by a cyclist who said he disturbed it when he entered some bushes to urinate. It was seen again twice this week.

"The captain of a barge saw what he thought at first was a floating log. But he alerted police when he saw the log swim across the river," said Christof Schulze, head of Eltville's forestry office. He estimated the animal to be 1.5 meters (five foot) long.

It was not clear how the crocodile came to be in the river, far from its natural habitat. Police said they would call in specialist help to catch it if they found it. Frankfurt Zoo has offered to take in the animal.

The Rhine, once one of western Europe's most polluted rivers, has been cleaned up in recent years to the point where wild salmon now swim in it.

[Ah, some good news there, at the end.]

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2001