Inundaţii grave au afectat Vietnamul în toamna lui 2007, omorând câteva sute de oameni şi producând pagube uriaşe. Pe deasupra, autorităţile locale se confruntă cu o nouă problemă: sute de crocodili au evadat de la o fermă unde apele le-au distrus cuştile. O relatare de Steve Jackson:

Ascultaţi povestea

The state owned Yang Bay farm in central Vietnam was home to around five-thousand crocodiles, until flash floods destroyed their cages at the weekend. The authorities don't know exactly how many of the reptiles escaped but they believe several hundred are on the loose.

Soldiers, forest rangers and villagers have been trying to track them down. Only eight crocodiles have been recaptured so far and three more shot dead. The first to be killed weighed two-hundred kilograms and took eight people to carry it away. Many of the escaped crocodiles are thought to have taken up residence in a nearby lake, and officials have warned people to be extremely careful and not to go swimming.

Crocodiles are farmed in Vietnam for meat and their skin which is still used to make handbags. The manager of the farm says he fears some local people will try to catch them so they can sell the leather. The floods - caused by a series of typhoons - have caused widespread damage in northern and central Vietnam, killing around two-hundred people since the start of October.

Steve Jackson, BBC

Ascultaţi cuvintele

flash floods
inundaţii venite din senin şi foarte grave

escaped
a evadat, a scăpat din captivitate

on the loose
în libertate

forest rangers
pădurari, gardienii parcului natural

to track them down
a-i găsi, a-i scoate la iveală

recaptured
capturaţi din nou

taken up residence
să îşi fi găsit adăpost, să fi început să trăiască în

farmed
crescut, cultivat (aici)

leather
piele de animal utilizată pentru îmbrăcăminte sau încălţăminte

widespread damage
pagube imense