280 crocodiles escape in floods

AT LEAST 280 crocodiles have escaped from a refuge near the Gulf of Mexico after heavy flooding caused by Hurricane Karl, Mexican media said yesterday.

The endangered Morelet crocodiles were on the roam in six coastal areas in the state of Veracruz, and residents were told not to try to capture or kill them, El Economista reported.

Morelet crocodiles can grow to nearly ten feet and are found in freshwater swamps, lakes and rivers, and the brackish coastal waters of eastern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.