New drama with the crocodile in the capital's "Botunets" quarter. The owners refuse to let the animal go, and the institutions want to take it back.
Representatives of the Zoological Garden in Sofia and RIOSV-Sofia arrived in the capital's "Botunets" neighborhood to take the crocodile found there, but the person pretending to be the animal's owner resisted. He asked for a report as well as a reason why they wanted to take the animal. For more than an hour, the dispute between the representatives of RIOSV and the man continued.
The reptile was found by employees of the Kremikovtsi district administration. The mayor of the region, Lilia Donkova, has contacted the Regional Environment and Water Inspectorate (RIOSV)-Sofia, as well as the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency. The Municipality also explained that the pool that the crocodile lived in was built on part of municipal property.
Police officers and specialists from the zoo in Sofia are on the scene.
The owners of the crocodile claim that they have all the necessary documents and refuse to hand over the animal. They are afraid. that if the animal is sedated, it will be fatal.
"The animal will not be anesthetized, it will be caught and moved,", the zoo assured.
"Only the RIOSV can take it from me, I have a document. I also want you to give me a document on what basis you are taking the crocodile from me," the owner claims. "Some mayoress can't take it away from me. He is not in a hole, but in a pool. He was checked by RIOSV and did not want to take him, now they want him from the zoo", he added.
Earlier today, the mayor assured that they will take the crocodile from the zoo and put it under quarantine.
The owner claims that he feeds and takes care of him, and that is enough: "It is not cold, there are conditions, there is water," Nova TV reported.
In the end, it was decided that the crocodile would stay in its habitat that night as well, and tomorrow its chip will be checked and whether it meets the documents. This was explained by the representatives of the Regional Environment and Water Inspection (RIOSV)-Sofia, who are at the place where the animal is.
"We decided to postpone it until tomorrow, so that there is no current madhouse, the animal's chip must be seen to see if it meets the documents,'' the RIOSV experts pointed out. There will be no police at night. The crocodile will be moved from where it is to a safer place where it can hold out until tomorrow until the inspectors come.