Thousands of crocodiles are on the loose in South Africa after flooding rains hit the region.
The local Beeld newspaper reported Wednesday that the crocodiles escaped after the owner was forced to open the gates of the Rakwena Crocodile Farm to prevent a storm surge on the Limpopo River on Sunday.
The fear was the force of the rising flood waters would crush the walls of the farm on the crocodiles.
"There used to be only a few crocodiles in the Limpopo River. Now there are a lot. We go to catch them as soon as farmers call us to inform us about crocodiles," said Langman, the son-in-law of the crocodile farm’s owner.
Langman says a couple of thousand had been recaptured in the dense bush next to the river, but more than half were still missing and sprawled out across the region, including in a rugby field 75 miles away from the farm.
Most of the recapturing reportedly has taken place at night because crocodiles' eyes shine red in the dark, making them easier to spot.
The floods in the region have killed at least 10 people in Limpopo province and caused extensive damage to homes, roads and bridges.
The South African Air Force is being used to rescue people affected by the flooding in remote settlements, some of which are cut off from the outside world.
The floods have also affected neighboring Mozambique, where tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes.
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