逃げたワニ７頭、商業地区で捕獲　パラグアイ

【イタＡＦＰ＝時事】パラグアイで、氾濫したラグーン（潟）からワニ7頭が逃げ、近隣の町の中心部に入り込む出来事があった。ワニは住民らを恐怖に陥れたが、数時間後、ボランティアの消防隊員らによって捕獲された。当局が28日、AFPに明らかにした。（写真はパラグアイ南部イタで、ワニを触る男性）
　逃げ出したのは、南部イタで観光用に飼育されている体長１．５～２メートルのワニ。２７日に暴風雨でラグーンの擁壁（ようへき）が壊れて商業地区に入り込み、路上をさまよった。
　店舗内をのぞき込む複数のワニを発見した通行人らが、当局に通報した。
　消防隊の広報担当者フランシスコ・プラトン氏は、逃げ出したワニは「乾いた場所を探し、休もうとした」とＡＦＰに話した。
　イタ市当局のディエゴ・カプト氏は、「夜間だったのは幸いだった」と述べた。。
　住民の中には、ワニに近づいて写真や動画を撮影してソーシャルメディア上に投稿する人や、大胆にもワニに触る人もいた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/01/29-15:33）

Seven caimans escaped an overflowing lagoon in Paraguay, invaded a nearby town center and terrified residents for hours before being captured in a risky operation by volunteer firefighters, officials told AFP Thursday.
The toothy reptilians, between 1.5 and two meters (4.9-6.6 feet) long, took to the commercial center of Ita in south Paraguay, ambling down the streets after their watery home broke its banks in a rainstorm.
Some of the creatures -- cousins of alligators and crocodiles -- looked in at shop doors, scaring passers-by who called the authorities.
The caimans got out Wednesday after a retaining wall of the Ita Lagoon, where they are an attraction, collapsed in heavy rains, said fire brigade spokesman Francisco Platon.
The creatures left to seek refuge on dry ground and to rest, he told AFP.
Luckily it happened at night, said Diego Caputo of the Ita municipality.
Even so, several people got close enough to take photos or videos of the animals, which they posted on social media. Some even dared touch the scaly giants.
The caimans are an attraction of the city park but they are a danger when things like this happen that are beyond our control, added Caputo.
Paraguay has seen heavy downpours since last week, causing damage to homes and streets and triggering power cuts.
The weather office is predicting more rain for the days to come.
A local NGO that goes by the name of Let's save the Ita Lagoon, said in a statement that the body of water has an overpopulation of caimans, known locally as yacares.
In time they could pose a danger to people. For lack of food they could attack, it said, and warned people not to try to touch the animals.
The fire department, for its part, urged citizens on Twitter to call the emergency number if anyone sees another yacare in the street.
Ita is a town of some 75,000 inhabitants 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of the Paraguayan capital Asuncion.