This photo distributed to local media shows the crocodile captured in the Soyang Stream in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday, which was later identified as an endangered Siamese crocodile. (Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters) Police in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, have launched an investigation into how a critically endangered Siamese crocodile ended up in a local stream and who previously owned it.Yeoju Police Station is reviewing surveillance camera footage from around Soyang Stream, where the reptile was captured Saturday, and interviewing nearby residents. Investigators are also checking whether anyone in the area previously registered a Siamese crocodile or a similar wild animal.The National Institute of Biological Resources identified the animal as a Siamese crocodile after comparing photographs and video footage provided by the city with reference images.Native to Southeast Asia, the freshwater crocodile is distinguished by features including the shape of its teeth, wrinkles around its eyes and scales behind its neck. Adults can grow to around 3 to 4 meters in length.The species is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, which covers species facing the highest risk of extinction.Its capture, trade and possession are strictly restricted without authorization. However, specimens bred at facilities registered with CITES may be commercially traded if the required permits are obtained.An official from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the animal may have been legally purchased after being bred at a registered facility and later abandoned by its owner. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that it was smuggled into the country.Police said if the previous owner is identified, they would consider whether to pursue charges under the Animal Protection Act for abandonment. They will also investigate how the crocodile was acquired and brought into Korea.The Yeoju animal protection center, which is temporarily housing the crocodile, posted a notice seeking its owner on the national animal protection information system on Monday.Because the notice was filed before the species analysis was completed, the animal was initially listed as a spectacled caiman. Its weight was recorded as 1.5 kilograms, and its sex was unknown.Officials at the center said the reptile listed in the notice was believed to be the Siamese crocodile identified by the institute.The notice will remain posted until July 30. If no owner comes forward, the crocodile is expected to be transferred to the National Institute of Ecology or another institution equipped to care for an internationally endangered species.