Dozens of crocodiles in China escape during floods

Dozens of crocodiles escaped from a breeding farm in southern China during flooding caused by Typhoon Haikui, Chinese authorities said.

Around 75 crocodiles made a break for it when a lake in Maoming, Guangdong province overflowed.

While some were recaptured, local authorities shot or electrocuted others "for safety reasons".

Chinese state media reports that eight reptiles have been rounded-up so far, leaving dozens at large.

Villagers close by have been told to stay at home.

Typhoon Haikui has been tearing across south Asia for more than a week, resulting in seven deaths, according to Chinese officials.

There are also three people missing following the typhoon - now downgraded to a tropical storm - which has caused landslides and flooding, affecting China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

State media said there had not been any casualties following the crocodiles' escape but officials admitted some are still in deep water. Emergency services have been using sonar equipment to find them.

A staff member at Maoming's Emergency Management Bureau told Dazhong Daily, a state-run newspaper: "It is currently under control, but the number of crocodiles that escaped is a bit high."

Sixty-nine adults and six juveniles crocodiles escaped, according to the emergency management bureau. The Washington Post reports that they are Siamese crocodiles.

These are freshwater reptiles that can grow to around 3m or nearly 10ft long, according to Crocodiles of the World, a UK zoo.

One firefighter told Chinese media the average weight of the adult crocodiles that have been captured is about 75kg, measuring more than 2m in length. The firefighter added: "Most of the captured crocodiles were shot to death."

Maoming in Guangdong province is home to a number of crocodile farms. They are bred for their skin as well as for meat.

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