Paraguayan volunteer firefighters on Wednesday captured seven caimans measuring up to two meters spotted in the early morning near a shopping center in the town of Ita, 30 km south of the capital Asuncion, after escaping from their enclosure.
Several of them had reached the doors of the store, according to photos and videos posted on social networks.
The reptiles, which live in a tourist attraction lake in the city center, escaped overnight after the collapse of a retaining wall which gave way following the heavy rains which have been falling for several days on the country, flooding the banks.
“The caimans came out of the water to take refuge on the dry surface to rest,” Ita firefighter spokesperson Francisco Platon told AFP.
“Fortunately it happened at night,” whispered the secretary general of the town hall, Diego Caputo.
The association “Save Lake Ita” said in a statement to note an overpopulation of caimans. “Over time, they can be a danger. For lack of food, they could attack ”, she warned after recommending“ not to touch them ”.
The firefighters asked on their Twitter account to “make an emergency call if anyone sees another caiman on the public road”.
The rainy season has raged in Paraguay for the past week, causing extensive damage to homes and roads, and leading to blackouts. Further heavy rains are expected until Sunday.