Ras Al Khaimah: Pay Dh300 to Dh400 and get a 30 to 50 centimetre long crocodile here.
Residents said buying a crocodile is easy, order one from a 'known' shop and it is yours in three days' time.
Pet shop owners said dealers from Sharjah supply crocodiles to them. They said business has been so brisk that they have run out of stock. But they said customers must not lose heart. If they place an order and leave their telephone numbers, the crocodiles will be delivered.
Abdullah Hamid, who trades in animals, birds and fish, said he used to keep crocodiles, but didn't have any now. "They are in big demand as residents keep them in their farm houses."
He said the crocodiles come originally from several African countries, including Egypt.
Jahir, another pet shop owner, said he sold a crocodile only a few days back for Dh350. He said he had two crocodiles then, one of them died due to unknown reasons.
A runaway baby crocodile spread panic in Al Rams on Saturday, with rumours spreading that the area was infested with the reptiles. The crocodile was caught and returned to its owner, Fahd Abdullah Juma'a.
"I will take care of it and provide it with the necessary environment to grow up," said Juma'a.
He stressed that he was not afraid of the crocodile which he loves, adding that a large number of residents raise several crocodiles in their houses and farms. Juma's provides his crocodile a pool with fish to eat. He said so far the crocodile had consumed only one fish.
Dr Saif Al Gais, a marine biology professor at UAE University, said the crocodile is a carnivorous animal and people must not raise it under any circumstances.
He said the crocodile in a house or a farm can pose a serious threat to the lives of the people around it. He warned that once a crocodile reaches adult size, it becomes very difficult to handle.
A senior official at the Ministry of Environment and Water said this is an illegal trade and only shops and special farms holding Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) licences can handle such a business in the UAE.
Mubarak Ali Al Shamsi, Director General of RAK Municipality, said the municipality has nothing to do with this trade as the whole issue should be handled by the Ministry of Environment.
He said the ministry should decide about this trade and send an official note to the municipality, which then can take the necessary legal measures to scan the market and put an end to the offence.
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