Crocodile found on Abu Dhabi flight

Abu Dhabi // Please make sure your seat is in the upright position, and your overhead locker is securely closed. It might seem superfluous to add: please also ensure there are no crocodiles under your seat. But on an EgyptAir flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo Friday, someone evidently forgot this last piece of advice. Midway through the flight, a 30cm baby crocodile was found wandering down the aisle, according to news reports. Crew members managed to corner and capture the reptile, which was handed to waiting veterinary authorities in Cairo after the flight landed. No one was hurt. It was believed the stowaway might have wriggled out of a passenger's hand luggage - although no one was prepared to admit bringing it on to the plane. Much of the traffic through Abu Dhabi does not originate here, so it is possible the reptile had boarded elsewhere. Transporting exotic animals in and out of Egypt is illegal. In 2007, about 250 baby crocodiles were found in the luggage of a man leaving Egypt. In the UAE, crocodiles sell for upwards of Dh1,000 (US$370). relass@thenational.ae