Heathrow authorities seize 50 crocodiles

One of year-old reptiles has died since then

Heathrow Airport authorities on Friday seized 50 crocodiles transported in contravention of regulations.

The year-old reptiles arrived in the United Kingdom from Malaysia. The crocodiles ended up sparring over space. While each of the boxes used to transport the reptiles had space for four, 10 foot-long crocodiles were stuffed per one.

A Border Force official said "little attention" had been devoted to the reptiles' welfare. One has died since then.

The reptiles were destined for a Cambridgeshire farm where they were to be bred for meat. The animals have been placed under the care of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) officials.



In a statement, the Home Office said the reptiles will be rehomed. "It is just not acceptable for reptiles to be transported in this way. We will seize anything that contravenes CITES regulations, so this should serve as a warning to those thinking about transporting wildlife in such conditions, Grant Miller of the UK Border Force said.

This article originally appeared in BBC.