Man sleeps with pet crocodile

[Sharon (Premo)]

A 42-year-old Thai man says he likes to have his pet crocodile lying next to him on his mattress at night. Prayoon Thongjon caught Kheng while fishing three years ago. Prayoon says the one-metre long freshwater crocodile also gets on well with his 10-year-old son and the family's two dogs.

"Whenever I went to bed he would follow and scratch the mosquito net over my mattress as though he was begging to join me. I gave in eventually and let him in," Prayoon, from Phichit Pho Thale, told The Nation.

Kheng can't even swim, as Prayoon explains: "I tried to teach him to swim once in the nearby canal, but he gave up after swallowing gallons of water. After that he never got into the canal again."

He added: "I think people are more scary."

Local fisheries staff have warned him the crocodile could become aggressive during breeding season or when hungry.

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Next week's story...Pet Crock eats ________ (dog, owner, kid).