The Lake Hallwil caiman (not pictured) fancied a duck
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Swiss authorities say they are calling off the hunt for an alligator-like reptile spotted in an inland lake, saying it isn’t doing any harm.
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The metre-and-a-half (five-foot) caiman was spotted by a fisherman in Lake Hallwil, northern Switzerland, on July 14 when it briefly surfaced and snapped at a duck.
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Police considered the report credible, saying the caiman – indigenous to Central and South America – was probably an abandoned pet.
“He isn’t doing any harm. It’s like a kangaroo roaming around freely – it doesn’t belong here, but it isn’t doing any harm,” he said.
“He’ll probably remain a phantom, making it the summer story of the year.”
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