Puerto Ricans at a shopping mall surprised by more than 5-foot-long caiman
By APWednesday, July 21, 2010
Big caiman spooks shoppers at Puerto Rico mall
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Ricans at a shopping mall were spooked by an unlikely intruder — a more than 5-foot-long (1.5-meter) caiman. Ana Maria Ramos, spokeswoman for Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources, said the big reptile was found Wednesday under a shopper’s car at an outlet mall in the town of Canovanas. It was captured and taken to a shelter.
No one was injured by the caiman, which is native to Central and South America.
Nonnative creatures have become a problem for Puerto Rico because of the U.S. island’s lush tropical climate and lack of predators. Several species of snakes, iguanas and caimans — imported for sale as pets, then released into the wild — flourish on the island.
