When it comes to catching the Yuen Long crocodile, everyone has an idea and everyone, it seems, wants to tell the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department what it is doing wrong. Now that the weather is warming up, Hong Kong's favourite reptile has resurfaced and just this week was seen lazing on top of one of the wire cages put there to trap it. Not surprisingly, the offers to help catch it are again pouring in.
The department is trying some new techniques of its own, including digging trenches and covering them with plastic sheets, mud and leaves, hoping the crocodile will fall into one of them while searching for a cosy sunbathing spot on the banks of the Shan Pui River.
Australian crocodile hunter John Lever claims to be standing by with his specially designed laser harpoon. The department also says it is entertaining offers of help from two unnamed expatriates, as well as constantly talking with crocodile experts from Guangdong who tried once to catch the croc and may come back for another go. Given enough time and media coverage of its daily routine, legislator David Chu Yu-lin might even renew his offer to go in with several other lawmakers and six fishermen experienced in catching sharks.
Five months after the creature came to the world's attention, no more is known about how it got there, despite a government reward for information. What is known is that it is a saltwater variety. Somewhat adorable when it first appeared, the crocodile is growing bigger each day and could soon pose a danger to residents of nearby farms and the densely populated Yuen Long area. That is the serious side of a news story that became, and remains, a worldwide curiosity - with the latest sighting being mentioned in news broadcasts alongside Condoleezza Rice's testimony to the US panel on the September 11 attacks.
At home, tales of government vets with tranquiliser guns, nets, blankets and tape, and of Lever's 2am boat trips, provided a welcome distraction at the end of a year that saw Hong Kong dealing with Sars, the Article 23 controversy and a democracy debate, in quick succession. Photographs and live news feeds from the scene were entertaining, even if the media frenzy was a bit overdone at times.
The star of the show was the crocodile itself, voted Personality of the Year by RTHK listeners and credited by one letter writer with having lifted the stock and property markets. It has become a mascot representing the city's instinct for survival. The crocodile, oblivious to its fame, would probably just as soon be rescued from the highly polluted swamp it now calls home. There have been suggestions it could become the star attraction of a water theme park and boost tourism. A fine idea - but first we'll have to get the croc to co-operate.