Autopsy of caiman found in French canal finds no signs of cruelty

Autopsy results confirm that a dead spectacled caiman fished out of a canal near Lille earlier this month was not mistreated, although the investigation is still ongoing.

As prosecutors seek to clear up the animal’s mysterious death, three local people were arrested after they allegedly attacked someone they claim misidentified them as the animal’s owners on social media.

The caiman was found by a fisherman on April 19 while he was magnet fishing at the bottom of a canal in Roubaix, near Lille.

The magnet he was using caught the dead animal, which was in a sleeping bag, secured with cable ties and weighted down with a heavy object.

Following the discovery, an investigation was opened by the Lille Public Prosecutor’s Office, which, due to the manner in which the animal had been disposed of, initially suspected animal cruelty.

Additionally, the caiman measured only one metre in length and weighed 10 kg, whereas the species normally reaches 2.5 metres. This led experts to believe it was either young or had suffered from growth problems due to poor living conditions.

The autopsy report,released by the Lille Prosecutor’s Office, has confirmed that the caiman died from pancreatic disease (pancreatitis), likely linked to a poor-quality diet, and was 10 years old.

Samuel Finielz, Lille’s prosecutor cited in the La Voix du Nord, said the animal had died four to ten days before it was discovered.

However, the investigation continues, as the way it was disposed of suggests it was illegally kept, since someone who had kept it as a pet would normally have taken it to a veterinary practice.

Additionally, owning one in France requires a certificate of competence and a prefectural authorisation, both of which are rarely issued to individuals.

Suspects arrested in France but not charged

Shortly after news of the caiman’s discovery circulated, someone publicly accused a family in the Roubaix area of being the owners of the caiman in a Facebook post, according to Mr Finielz.

Members of the accused family then reportedly went to the home of their accuser and committed acts of violence, resulting in three of the family members being arrested. The prosecutor added that category B and D weapons and ammunition were found during a search of their home.

Category B weapons in France can include handguns, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, while category D refers to lower risk weapons such as pepper spray, air guns and pellet guns.

Despite the weapons find, Mr Finielz said “no evidence was found at their home to suggest that this caiman was being held there.” He said however that other animals were found at the property though there was no suggestion that they were being kept illegally. 

For now, these individuals have been released under judicial supervision and will be tried on October 20 for aggravated assault committed by a group resulting in a two-day total incapacity to work, and possession of category B weapons or ammunition.

While this line of inquiry has not been ruled out, it remains possible that the caiman was kept in another location, and the investigation is continuing.