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Alligator alarm in Vechta: Fake video ensures an exciting hunt!
A supposed alligator in Vechta turned out to be fake. The focus is on safety and legal consequences for the filmmaker.
Alligator alarm in Vechta: Fake video ensures an exciting hunt!
A suspected alligator recently caused a stir in the Lower Saxony town of Vechta. A recent video showing a reptile in a rainwater retention pond shocked residents and caught the attention of emergency responders. On Friday, June 13, an area of approximately 2.5 hectares was cordoned off to trap the animal. A live trap was also set up and it was even planned to drain the water from the tank if the animal could not be caught, as merkur.de reports.
However, what started as a dangerous hunt soon turned out to be a false alarm. On Monday, June 16, IT experts managed to expose the video as a fake. The alleged alligator reptile was taken from another location. The young man who distributed the video finally admitted that he did not create it himself after he was confronted with the investigation. Mayor Kristian Kater emphasized that the barrier was necessary due to safety concerns and the welfare of the animal. The legal consequences for the perpetrator are currently being examined.
The search for the unknown
The emergency services initially classified the video as real and described the animal as “similar to an alligator”. Drones were used to search the area while a dead rat was placed in the live trap as bait.
In addition, there were reports that the animal being sought was classified as shy and did not pose a threat to the public. Experts suspect that it is an alligator that was illegally bred and released. In Lower Saxony, private keeping of such dangerous animals without the appropriate permit is strictly prohibited.
Legal framework
The legal regulations for keeping reptiles are very clearly regulated in Germany. As reptilienhandlung.de explains, reptiles may only be sold or distributed by experts, which is stipulated by the Animal Welfare Act. Particularly dangerous animals, such as alligators, are subject to strict monitoring and may only be kept with special permission.
Expertise and experience are required to obtain permission to sell these animals. Commercial trading without such authorization is prohibited. The regulations aim to protect the safety of the population and the welfare of the animals - and not without reason, considering the illegal capture of wild animals, which is a recurring issue.
A strange story has now developed in Vechta, which brought both concern and relief to the residents. While the search for the alleged alligator culminated in a large deployment of forces and technology, the actual threat remained only a product of the imagination.