100 crocodiles escape from farm in flood-hit Thailand

Some 100 crocodiles raised in captivity have escaped from a farm in Thailand struggling with heaving flooding, which killed at least 270 people, the Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday. Thailand's Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department described the reptile escapees as calm creatures with no hunting skills who would not attack people. "The crocodiles are not fierce like those living in the wild. On the contrary, they are rather scared of people," said Thirapat Prayoonsit, the department's deputy chief. He added that most crocodiles were young and less than one meter (three-feet) long. The farm sent skilled hunters to catch the escapees and appointed a 3,000 bath ($109) reward for each reptile. Thailand is considered the world's biggest crocodile breeder, with 30 crocodile farms countrywide and 900 small crocodile breeding operators, which keep more than 200,000 reptiles.