Keep clear of the croc in Tarragona

The red flag was hoisted and L’Arenal beach in L’Hospitalet de l’Infant (Tarragona) closed early on August 22.

A security guard hired to keep an overnight watch over inflatable slides and other floating attractions raised the alarm after catching a glimpse of a crocodile that he believed to be 1.5 metres long.

He said afterwards that he had also seen its tracks in the sand.

Policia Local officers and lifeguards scourin the beach, assisted by remembers of the region’s Rural Unit, found no trace of the crocodile, and the L’Arenal beach reopened later that morning although the precautionary yellow flag was flown during the rest of the day.

Protección Civil, equivalent to Civil Defence, explained later to the Diario de Tarragona newspaper that only one person had claimed to see the crocodile and they had received no other reports.

Animal experts pointed out that crocodiles are freshwater animals and it was unusual to find one in the sea, but added that they will sometimes seek salt water to heal a wound.

Less mystery surrounded the discovery of a caiman discovered in the Besos river park near Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) on August 8.

A member of public contacted the authorities after spotting the reptile, which appeared to be young and not fully-grown.   Police, forest rangers and officers from the Rural Unit  managed to trap the caiman which has been sent to Cataluña’s Amphibian and Reptile Recovery Centre.

“Probably it was once a pet but abandoned by its owner once it became difficult to handle,” a spokesperson said.