Swiss call off hunt for lake-dwelling reptile

The Lake Hallwil caiman (not pictured) fancied a duck Keystone

Swiss authorities say they are calling off the hunt for an alligator-like reptile spotted in an inland lake, saying it isn’t doing any harm. 

The metre-and-a-half (five-foot) caiman was spotted by a fisherman in Lake Hallwil, northern Switzerland, on July 14 when it briefly surfaced and snapped at a duck. 

Police considered the report credible, saying the caiman – indigenous to Central and South America – was probably an abandoned pet. 

But police spokesman Bernhard Graser told 20 MinutenExternal link on Tuesday that searches had been called off. 

“He isn’t doing any harm. It’s like a kangaroo roaming around freely – it doesn’t belong here, but it isn’t doing any harm,” he said. 

“He’ll probably remain a phantom, making it the summer story of the year.”