Crocodiles at large after escaping flooded farm

Residents in Pengcun village in Maoming, Guangdong province, are being urged to limit their time outdoors after dozens of crocodiles escaped from a local farm amid recent flooding.

Authorities are trying to reassure villagers by assembling local militias to round up the crocodiles with permission to shoot on sight if necessary.

It's thought that at least 70 adult crocodiles, weighing over 100 kilograms each, and six hatchlings, are on the loose in the village, in nearby lakes and waterways, and residents have been told to avoid fishing until the majority of the escapees have been accounted for.

No casualties have been reported so far, but the situation has raised great concern among locals, according to a report from news outlet Nanfang Plus on Tuesday.

Video footage circulating online shows several crocodiles by a road sign near a submerged road.

The crocodiles managed to escape the farm on Monday after serious flooding caused a nearby lake to overflow in the wake of Typhoon Haikui, which has brought damage to areas in southern China.

On Tuesday, Shangyou News quoted an official from Maoming's rural affairs authorities as saying that some crocodiles have been caught and some have been shot or electrocuted, while the rest are still being hunted.

Authorities have said the crocodiles pose a serious threat to public safety at this time and encouraged anyone who encounters one to immediately seek police help.

Crocodiles are bred and farmed in China for their skin, and their meat is often used in traditional Chinese medicine preparations.