GAZA: A crocodile on the run from a Gaza zoo for the past 18 months has finally been captured, police said on Tuesday.

The 1.8 meter (6 foot)-long reptile was spotted several weeks ago in sewage pools in the northern Gaza Strip, and villagers complained he had been eating their livestock. Police called in fishermen, who netted the crocodile on Monday.

"He's a beautiful troublemaker," police spokesman Ayman al-Batniji said. "We really sweated to take him alive."

The fugitive was returned to the zoo and reunited with four other crocodiles. Owners of the zoo said the crocodile had grown considerably since his escape, and they decided to name him "Sakher", or Rock, as a tribute to his survival. (Reuters)