UK police have seized a 4-foot-long caiman – a carnivorous reptile native to Central and South America – during a drugs raid in Essex, the force said on Friday.
Officers found the animal at a property in Aveley, a small town in Essex on the outskirts of Greater London.
They also seized a “significant cannabis grow” as well as several weapons including knives, and arrested two people, police said in a statement.
A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of producing cannabis, contravening the dangerous wildlife act and possessing an offensive weapon.
And a 35-year-old woman was arrested on the same charges and also on suspicion of possessing with intent to supply drugs.
Both of them were later released under investigation.
“Drugs cause misery in our communities and we work hard to tackle their production and sale. We know this matters to the public and we value our neighbourhoods so these issues matter to us,” inspector Dan Selby, from the Grays Neighbourhood Policing Team, said in the statement.
Caimans, which resemble small crocodiles and can measure up to 5 feet in length, normally live in the rivers and wetlands found in central and southern America.
Police released a photo of this caiman pictured in a makeshift tank, and entrusted the animal to the RSPCA, Britain’s largest animal welfare charity.