Hong Kong's hunters finally get their croc

A small crocodile that gained celebrity status in Hong Kong, evading dart guns, harpoons and snares set by expert hunters, finally wandered into a government trap today.

Fishermen found the saltwater croc – first spotted in a swampy creek in November – trapped in a steel noose, and secured it in their nets, said Cheung Chi-sun, a wildlife protection officer .

The 5ft long reptile did not seem to put up much of a struggle when it was captured and taken to an animal centre to be examined by government vets, Cheung said.

Where it came from remains a mystery, although local media have speculated that it was an abandoned pet, or an escapee from a mainland Chinese crocodile farm.

Though the croc was small, officials worried it could pose a threat to the public.

Not long after it was first sighted in November, radio callers elected it Personality of the year.

Nicknamed “Gucci” – after the Italian designer – by local media thanks to Hong Kongers’ passion for crocodile skin handbags, the beast avoided initial efforts to snare it by local officials, and later defeated crocodile experts from Australia and China.