Zoo Drops 500 Lizards in Liquid Nitrogen

A Swedish zoo that couldn't properly house over 500 reptiles made the hard choice of having them dropped into liquid nitrogen, The Local in Sweden reports. The Tropicarium Rescue Centre at Kolmården Zoo near Norrköping took in the reptiles after Swedish police rescued 760 lizards and other creatures from animal smugglers last month. But housing them was pricey, and other institutions only took 50 of over 550 helmethead geckos off their hands, so the decision was made. "We applied for an exemption so we could use a killing method that is not yet approved in Sweden but is used internationally," says a police officer. "That is to kill them in liquid nitrogen." In other European lizard news, a judge ruled last year that children are no longer allowed to swim with crocodiles and alligators at the Crocodile Zoo in Friedberg, The Local in Germany reported. (More lizards stories.)