Too many crocodiles in Puerto Vallarta? Someone seems to think so.
A dead crocodile was found hanging from a tree on Tuesday in the Villas Universidad neighborhood with a message attached to its head.
“We want security. We will continue killing these disgusting animals if controls are not put in place by . . . the government of Puerto Vallarta,” the message said in Spanish.
The incident is being investigated by the federal public prosecutor’s office in Puerto Vallarta and the federal environmental protection agency, Profepa.
Meanwhile, Profepa is collaborating with the navy, the University of Guadalajara, the municipal government and state and municipal agencies to all reports of crocodiles in the urban zone of the municipality.
Profepa has urged the local government to install even more signs in areas where there is a high risk of contact between people and the reptiles to avoid incidents such as two that occurred in recent weeks.
A man was killed by a crocodile in the Ameca river while a tourist was injured by one in a tourist area in the north of the city.
In the latter case a 30-year-old French woman had gone into the water on the beach in front of the Marriott Hotel at about 11:30pm when she felt something bite her leg. She began kicking her leg and ran for the beach, calling for help.
Hotel security guards responded and called an ambulance.
She was treated in a private hospital for minor injuries and released shortly after.
A total of six crocodiles have been found dead since 2017 in the Puerto Vallarta area. Intentional or accidental human intervention was a factor in five of those cases.
Source: Vallarta Independiente (sp), Noticias PV (sp)
