Buyers queue at pet shops to snap up crocodiles

Ras Al Khaimah: Order a crocodile now and it will be delivered after Ramadan - all for Dh300.

Crocodiles continue to be sold in Ras Al Khaimah despite reports highlighting the issue. The owners of pet shops said they have not received any crocodiles from their Sharjah suppliers for a while and expect resumption of operations after Ramadan.

Jaheer, who runs a pet shop in Ras Al Khaimah, said the last crocodile he sold was a couple of weeks back. It was a small crocodile (about 40 centimetres) and was sold for Dh300, he said.

He said the Sharjah dealers have not been provided any crocodiles for the past few weeks.

Customers who approach the pet shops have been asked to leave their name and number along with a down payment, promising the delivery of the crocodiles after the month of Ramadan.

Worried

Jaheer said he is worried about the attitude of the Sharjah dealers. People, belonging to various nationalities, are daily asking for crocodiles and the shop owners are unable to meet the demand, he said.

Baby crocodiles, coming from African countries, used to be displayed at pet shops, but now need to be ordered well in advance due to the huge demand, he said.

Sources at the municipality said civic inspectors have no authority to stop pet shops from selling baby crocodiles. Other authorities, including the Ministry of Environment and Water, should get involved to stop the sale, said the sources.

When pet becomes a nightmare

Early this year a runawaybaby crocodile spread panic in Al Rams.

The pictures of the runaway crocodile and SMS messages circulated, stating that the crocodile is extremely dangerous.

A boy spotted the baby crocodile on the shore and reported it to his family who captured the crocodile and returned it to the owner.

People, especially those who have ponds in their houses, prefer to keep baby crocodiles.