Croc alert at Spanish reservoir

A crocodile hunt was being conducted at a reservoir outside Madrid yesterday after it was confirmed that two of the creatures had made their homes near the popular Valmayor dam.

The hunt began after frightened residents of the nearby town of Valdemorillo reported seeing the crocodiles swimming through the waters of what is one of Madrid's biggest reservoirs.

A popular site for swimming, wind-surfing and sailing, the reservoir was yesterday closed to the public and was being watched by police in helicopters and speedboats as the crocodile hunt continued. Luis Miguel Dominguez, a wildlife expert, who has been placed in charge of the hunt, confirmed that the nests of two crocodiles had been discovered. He said traps with dead animals would be laid out in an effort to catch the crocodiles alive.

The crocodiles must have been taken to the reservoir by a collector who no longer wanted them, he added.