Yacarés walking in shopping centers, the rare postcard that …

Volunteer firefighters Paraguay they captured seven alligators between a meter and a half and two meters in the streets of a shopping center, in the middle of a storm that overflowed the lagoon of Itá, located in the urban area of ​​this city, 30 kilometers south-east of Asunción.

Neighbors terrified of the reptiles’ presence immediately called rescuers who, after several hours, managed to catch them yesterday. The alligators had escaped following the collapse of a retaining wall due to the heavy rains that overflowed the lakeFrancisco Plaón, spokesperson for the Itá fire department, informed reporters.

“What happens is that the park’s lagoon has overflowed due to the amount of rain that has fallen and the alligators came out to seek refuge on the dry surface to rest, “Plato said. Several of the animals have reached the doors of stores, according to photos and videos witnesses posted on social media.

“Fortunately, it happened at night. Alligators are an attraction in the city park, but they pose a danger when phenomena like this occur and are beyond our control,” said Diego Caputo, secretary of the municipality of Ita.

The rainy season has not stopped in Paraguay since last week, causing widespread damage to homes, streets and roads, as well as power outages. The meteorological directorate has warned that more precipitation is expected until Sunday.

The civil organization called “Salvemos la laguna de Itá” revealed in a statement that there is an overpopulation of alligators in the locality. “Over time, it can represent a danger for people. Due to the lack of food, they could attack them,” he warned, after recommending “not to touch them”. The firefighters in turn asked on his Twitter account “to warn the emergency line if someone sees another alligator on the public road”.