Crocodile in the trash: Police investigate after bizarre discovery in Georgsmarienhütte!

Crocodile in the trash: Police investigate after bizarre discovery in Georgsmarienhütte!

What a strange find in the Osnabrück district! On July 22, 2025, an employee of the recycling center in Georgsmarienhütte, who goes by the nickname “Crocodile-Andi”, found an unexpected treasure in the residual waste container. He discovered a stuffed crocodile, more specifically a caiman, a subspecies of alligators. This discovery was shared by the environmental service provider Awigo on Instagram and caused quite a stir in the region. The crocodile was then taken to the local police station where investigations began.

The police have now confirmed that the Cayman is under the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species falls, and is now investigating a violation of species protection law. Interestingly, this right applies even after the animal's death, meaning that owning the crocodile could be legally problematic. It remains unclear how the animal got into the dumpster and how long it had been there.

Unique excitement and previous sightings

In this context, the police are calling for information about the correct disposal of animal carcasses. After all, taxidermy is not a decoration for bulky waste, says a spokeswoman. A man from Goldenstedt tried to attract attention with a video that was supposed to show the reptile. But that turned out to be a lie. He was just joking.

There was another area of ​​tension a few weeks ago when an alleged sighting of an alligator in Vechta caused a stir. Emergency services searched for days and cordoned off a 2.5-hectare area at a rainwater retention pond, but the animal turned out to be a phantom. A seized video did not provide the desired information about the actual events; it did not come from Vechta, as initially assumed.

The lesson from the incident

The excitement surrounding the Cayman clearly shows how important it is to be particularly careful when disposing of animals, especially protected species. The police authorities emphasize that owning crocodiles requires export and import permits, which were not available in this case. Crocodiles are protected species and this should not be taken lightly. The incident will certainly have repercussions, both legally and in public perception.

The find will also initiate conversations about the important topics of animal and environmental protection, because such incidents must not be trivialized in this day and age. Nature needs our respect and protection, even if we are sometimes reminded of it in strange ways.