A man kisses a crocodile during a show at the Crocodile Farm and Zoo on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

A crocodile weighing nearly 100 kilograms has recently drowned in Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, for fear of coming out of water as it was "too timid and easily frightened," the local crocodile breeder said to media on Tuesday. Experts noted, however, that the rare drowning could be attributed to underlying illness in the animal, which caused it to be unable to breathe properly. 

The incident was posted online by an employee at a crocodile farm in Liuzhou. "It was a timid crocodile, who dived into the water and refused to come out as it was frightened, which eventually led to the tragedy," the breeder explained. "This is the first time I have ever seen a crocodile drown," he added.

Netizens wondered why the water-reliant animal seemed to have "suddenly lost its ability to swim," with some joking that "the poor creature was literally scared to death."

However, animal experts pointed out that crocodiles are normally able to dive and surface for air through their lungs. Thus, the rare drowning that occurred in this case was probably caused by illness, which prevented the crocodile from breathing properly. 

Global Times