Saturday 19 January 2013

White Croc stolen from museum

I don't understand why would one steal a crocodile for good luck.


KUALA PILAH: An embalmed white crocodile that was on display at the Seri Menanti Palace museum was reported stolen on Tuesday (Jan 15).

It is rumoured that someone who had bought a lottery ticket had stolen the crocodile as a good luck charm. The Siamese albino crocodile was among the embalmed reptiles on display at the crocodile exhibition in the museum.

The exhibition is held in conjunction with the 65th birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

The specimen was discovered missing by a staff member on the morning shift. A police report was lodged after a search was conducted in the museum compound, but without any luck.

Kuala Pilah police chief superintendent Azmi Abdul Rahim said the crocodile belonged to the National Department of Museum and Antiquities.

He said it was worth an estimated RM30,000.

The crocodile was believed to have been stolen after the exhibition hours of 9am to 10pm.

"We have detained a museum guard at 12pm on Wednesday to help with the investigations."

The week-long exhibition, which started on Monday, is organised by the Negri Sembilan Museum Board and the National Department of Museum and Antiquities. Besides the white crocodile, the other reptiles at the exhibition include the biggest estuarine crocodile caught in Peninsular Malaysia, known as the "Puchong crocodile", and a crocodile owned by the royal family.

Historically, there were many rivers around Seri Menanti during the reign of the former Yang di-Pertuan Besar that became the natural habitat to the crocodiles in the area,


Source - New Straits Times