A reptile out of place
At the Palo Blanco dam, in Ramos Arizpe, authorities captured an unexpected visitor: a swamp crocodile. The species Crocodylus moreletii does not have its natural home in Coahuila. Someone dropped it there.
During a night monitoring they confirmed the presence of two specimens. They managed to catch one: a young male of about 50-60 centimeters, in good condition.
The official version and what they don’t say
Mayor Tomás Gutiérrez Merino came out quickly to provide peace of mind. He said that the priority is safety and that they acted with environmental responsibility.
“The most important thing is that citizens are safe. From the first moment we acted in a coordinated manner and under protection schemes for the specimen,” he expressed.
Sounds good, right? Protocols, coordination, regulations. Any official’s favorite words when something gets out of control.
Daniel González, director of State Wildlife, was more direct: it is an introduced species. Someone released her irregularly. The reptile is now under the protection of Profepa and was taken to the Desert Museum.
Here’s the interesting thing: who and why releases crocodiles into a dam? That remains in the comfortable mystery of “particulars.” A very useful plural noun so as not to point to anyone in particular.
Authorities say they will continue searching for at least three more nights. Just in case there are more reptilian surprises swimming around.
The uncomfortable question floating around is simple: if they managed to capture one… where is the other?
