4<\/p>\n Police are searching for the person who released a 3ft crocodile at a holiday hotspot in SpainCredit: Guardia Civil 4<\/p>\n A group of teenagers spotted the animal before it could cause any damageCredit: Guardia Civil 4<\/p>\n The croc was spotted in Albacete, Castilla la Mancha, Spain (stock)Credit: Getty<\/p>\n The reptile was luckily seen<\/a> by two teenagers and captured by cops before it could cause any harm.<\/p>\n The Guardia Civil is now probing who may have released the animal<\/a> into the Spanish reservoir<\/a>.<\/p>\n The nature<\/a> protection service (Seprona) originally thought the reptile was an alligator but later identified it as a yacare caiman.<\/p>\n This species is a member of a crocodile family<\/a> usually found in Brazil<\/a>, Argentina<\/a> and Bolivia.<\/p>\n The creature was captured<\/a> with bait by Seprona officers, in collaboration with an environmental team, members of the fishing club<\/a> and staff from the Albacete wildlife recovery centre. <\/p>\n Since its capture, the croc has been sent to Madrid<\/a> Zoo. <\/p>\n It was found in a regular bathing area<\/a>, located near a jetty.<\/p>\n The Civil Guard of Albacete has launched an investigation<\/a> to identify the person who may have illegally released the animal<\/a> into the reservoir. <\/p>\n The possession and release of exotic species<\/a> without a permit constitutes a serious infringement of wildlife conservation regulations.<\/p>\n It may also be treated as an environmental crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n Horror moment tourist savaged by crocodile after climbing into cage for pics <\/p>\n A local environmental agency said: “This type of irresponsible release represents a serious risk to local biodiversity and can generate security problems.”<\/p>\n The harrowing discovery has sparked fear in the nearby area.<\/p>\n Many locals and tourists have reportedly said they are now scared of swimming in public lakes and reservoirs.<\/p>\n The yacare caiman can reach a length of one and a half metres as an adult. <\/p>\n Due to its mottled skin it is highly sought after by the footwear industry. <\/p>\n But the species is protected by legislation as it is registered in the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. <\/p>\n Cops believe the main line of investigation is that this caiman ended up in Spain<\/a> through the illegal pet trade.<\/p>\n Yacare caimans breed in the summer<\/a>, and its diet usually consists of fish, crustaceans, snails and other molluscs. <\/p>\n But it is also capable of capturing other reptiles and small mammals in cases of extreme hunger. <\/p>\n In April, a dopey tourist was filmed being savaged by a 15ft crocodile<\/a> after climbing into the reptile’s cage to snap some selfies.<\/p>\n The 29-year-old male visitor pulled the stunt in front of horrified onlookers in the\u00a0Philippines<\/a>\u00a0after mistaking the cold-blooded beast for a statue.<\/p>\n And earlier this month, an influencer was seen wrestling a deadly croc<\/a>, sparking widespread outrage.<\/p>\n Alarming footage showed 27-year-old Colton Macaulay pulling the\u00a0exotic animal\u00a0<\/a>out of the water before parading it and calling it a “little b****” to his 15 million followers online.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/say-totally-irresponsible-thing-many-1009364849.jpg\")
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