JEDDAH, 21 November 2006 — For the past three days police here have been on a wild goose chase in search of a UFO: An unidentified floating object that was seen in Al-Arbaeen lagoon in Jeddah’s downtown district, known as Al-Balad.
The UFO was first spotted by a number of construction workers at a site near the body of water. They identified the object as an alligator, recalling an incident years ago when two full-grown alligators were found in the brackish water of the lagoon.
After a few days of keeping special watch on the lagoon, police were finally able to find and identify the object. They immediately ruled out the possibility that the object was a large reptile, but suspected it might be a floating human body.
The object turned out to be a trash bin that was slightly breaching the surface of the water, giving it an ominous-looking profile when seen from a distance.
A few years ago Jeddawis were surprised to learn that two fully-grown adult alligators were living in the lagoon. City folks flocked to the lagoon to catch a glimpse of the creatures, some even tossing dead chickens into the water in an attempt to lure them closer. The gators were later pulled out of the lake and the show was over.
Earlier this year a Saudi businessman and local exotic animal collector told Arab News that he was responsible for releasing the reptiles into the lagoon after they grew too large to keep.
He said he was surprised to find out later that the creatures had survived and were thriving in the salty water.
Exotic animal collecting is illegal on paper, but an illicit trade in animals, especially from Africa, thrives on the demand by wealthy Saudis who want to decorate their estates with wild creatures.
