OSAKA - A 34-year-old pet shop owner has been arrested on suspicion of illegally keeping a saltwater crocodile, one of the world's largest and most dangerous crocodile species, along with numerous other regulated reptiles at his home and business in a residential area of Osaka.
Saltwater crocodiles are designated as dangerous animals requiring official permission to keep in Japan because of the risk that they could attack people. Large adults can exceed 6 meters in length.
The crocodile found at the property in Higashiyodogawa Ward, Osaka, was about 1.5 meters long and believed to be a juvenile. Images of the animal showed its mouth partly open, exposing rows of sharp white teeth.
Police arrested 34-year-old pet shop operator Soma Satomi on September 28. He is suspected of keeping, without the required permits, one saltwater crocodile and one alligator snapping turtle designated as dangerous animals, as well as 23 animals including snapping turtles classified as invasive alien species.
The animals were allegedly being kept at Satomi's combined home and shop on September 1.
According to police, the saltwater crocodile was housed in a tank in the shop's back room. A metal mesh cover had been placed over the tank and weighted down to prevent the animal from escaping, but the enclosure was not locked.
Residents in the neighborhood expressed concern after learning that a crocodile had been kept nearby. One resident said they had never imagined a crocodile was being housed there and said the owner should have considered what might happen if it escaped.
Another resident described the discovery as disturbing and frightening, noting that there are grassy areas nearby where an escaped animal could potentially hide without being noticed.
Saltwater crocodiles are among the largest living reptiles and inhabit regions of Oceania and Southeast Asia. Their name reflects their preference for environments around river mouths, estuaries and other areas where fresh water meets the sea.
At Nifrel, an aquarium and animal facility in Osaka Prefecture, two saltwater crocodiles weighing about 300 to 400 kilograms each are kept under strict safety procedures. Each is about 3 meters long.
Kenta Arashi, a veterinarian and animal keeper at Nifrel, said saltwater crocodiles have extremely powerful bites and can inflict serious injuries on humans, potentially posing a threat to life.
Nifrel requires staff to work in groups when feeding or otherwise caring for the crocodiles and avoids having keepers enter the same space as the animals.
Commenting on the conditions in which the crocodile was allegedly being kept in Higashiyodogawa Ward, Arashi said animals can sometimes display far greater strength than expected and that unexpected situations can arise. He described the reported keeping conditions as highly inappropriate and said there was a possibility the crocodile could have escaped.
Satomi has admitted knowing that keeping the animals without permission was illegal, according to police. "I understood that it was illegal, but I kept them anyway," he was quoted as telling investigators.
Police believe Satomi was keeping the animals as pets. Investigators are examining how he obtained them, including the possibility that some may have been smuggled into Japan.
Source: YOMIURI
