China police save 3,600 crocodiles from being served as exotic dishes
12:23, 8 July 2012
BEIJING. July 8. KAZINFORM Police in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in south China seized more than 3,600 smuggled crocodiles, saving them from being served as exotic dishes, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
According to RIA Novosti , the rare Siamese crocodiles were seized on the China-Vietnam border. Smugglers intended to supply them to restaurants in China.
Veterinarians are providing medical treatment to the endangered reptiles, with some having died from heatstroke during transportation, local officials said.
Siamese crocodiles are a critically endangered species native to most Southeast Asian countries. Their meat is served as delicacies in some southern Chinese cities, animal rights activists said.