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    Pope gets rare, scaled visitor at general audience

    VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI received a rare, scaly visitor Wednesday during his weekly general audience: an endangered Cuban crocodile.

    Officials from Rome's Bioparco zoo presented the 84-year-old pontiff with the young croc at the end of Wednesday's audience. Zoo official Yitzhak Yadid held the iguana-sized reptile in his hands as Benedict looked on.

    The Cuban crocodile, or Crocodylus rhombifer, has seen its numbers fall by 80 percent in recent years and currently only survives in Cuba's Zapata and Isle of Youth swamps. It is classified as endangered by the United Nations convention on endangered species.

    The croc who attended the papal audience had been seized by Italian forestry authorities late last year after it was discovered in an Italian private collection, zoo officials said. Forestry authorities handed it over to the zoo for safekeeping and rehabilitation.

    The animal will be returned to Cuba in March, coinciding with Benedict's planned trip to the island.

    The Cuban crocodile can reach 3.5 meters in length when fully grown. Benedict's 40-centimeter-long visitor is believed to be about four years old.

    Rome zoo officials bought the animal to the papal audience to show off the zoo's conservation efforts as it celebrates its centenary.

     

    68 comments

    • Buster Deekatt  •  Chesaning, Michigan  •  4 mths ago
      Seems to be a good idea, they are saving the cost of a special shipment to Cuba by having it 'hitch' a ride with the pope.
    • JD  •  4 mths ago
      Hey, Catholic haters....Seems you're MIA on the Disability for Pedophiles Story on Greece. Have a problem ONLY with priests who molest kids?
      • Michael 4 mths ago
        They don't really care about the kids. If they did, they would be trying to stop all of the molestations happening in the other churches and would be more alarmed at the 1250 incidents that happen in public schools each year. No, the suffering of the children merely is used as an excuse to bash the Church.
      • Craig Z 4 mths ago
        Michael from Cleveland, It is very irresponsible of you to throw around unsubstantiated statistics. You do realize that there are impressionable dimwits here who will believe just about anything they are able to read.
      • JD 4 mths ago
        Michael: Totally agree with you. They hate the Catholic Church and want to bury it for whatever reason. The posters who rant the loudest about the priest abuse cases are nowhere to be found on other YAHOO MB's on stories involving pedophilia by others.
    • francis  •  Dubai, United Arab Emirates  •  4 mths ago
      Before you hurl vindictive comments to Pope, why not first examine yourself if you are as clear as crystal or as clear as mud... Hypocrites...
    • terryton  •  4 mths ago
      Nobody turned this into a joke about Castro?
      • John 4 mths ago
        Compared to Benny, Fidel is an angel.
    • Anya  •  Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom  •  4 mths ago
      Please pray for the hate filled bigots, especially the ones using hate to dredge up money
      • C. 4 mths ago
        Including the Pope?
      • stephen 4 mths ago
        Especially the poop!
      • Craig Z 4 mths ago
        @Anya - Who is getting paid for hate?
    • John  •  4 mths ago
      "Pope gets rare, scaled visitor at general audience" The anti-Catholics are just salivating with a heading so juicy. And then they find out its a crocodile. Well at least they'll be a bit more creative with their insults now...I hope.
      • Michael 4 mths ago
        Sadly, their efforts are just as banal and lacking of imagination as ever...
      • John 4 mths ago
        I thought the devil finally was going to collect his dues.
      • Hassan bin Sobar 4 mths ago
        Michael, I agree. It is almost like a group of second-graders have all decided to troll Catholic stories on Yahoo.
    • Christopher  •  4 mths ago
      Funny how a Catholic news story draws so many hate filled souls. Its like their souls know they need the life-giving water of the Holy Spirit found in the Catholic Church, but they just cannot overcome their self-inflicted blindness caused by ignorance, bigotry and pride. You would think they would realize how unfulfilling their hate is.
      • Carley 4 mths ago
        My question is, since they don't believe in God, why are they so obsessed with Him?
      • Craig Z 4 mths ago
        @Carley - The story is about the pope, not about your god.

        Don't feel bad. Christopher missed that point also.
      • my2cents 4 mths ago
        Ah, Christopher, now I see that your misinformed response to my post falls into the "one-size-fits-all" category. You're so awfully full of... insight.
    • Patrick  •  4 mths ago
      And here come the anti-Catholic bigots right on cue... like moths to a flame...
    • Royal Ron  •  Pleasanton, California  •  4 mths ago
      Note: these anti Catholic commentators with their comments must have nothing else in their lives; no lives; but prejudice, racist, bigoted, negative, bias, hateful, lives that are displayed in their comments!
    • my2cents  •  4 mths ago
      People, before you thumbs down my comment below referring to the "Space Pope" out of ignorance, just do a quick search and you'll understand, though maybe not appreciate, the context.
    • Caroline  •  4 mths ago
      Much ado about nothing.
    • Mark  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      Why is this newsworthy? As a Catholic I find this type of article disturbing. It is an obvious set up for all the ignorant to spew hate against the Catholic Church. Just as Christ was attacked, so is his Church.
    • ogreswife  •  4 mths ago
      Fellow Catholics...just remember, when they hate us, they hate Christ. We are the first and true Christian Church.
    • SHiNOBi_11  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  4 mths ago
      In The Mighty and Powerful Name of JESUS CHRIST, The Only Son of The Living GOD, The King of kings and The Lord of lords: GOD Bless Pope Benedict XVI and The Roman Catholic Church!!!

      God Be Praised!

      Pope John Paul II, please pray for us all... All Saints and Angels and Prophets in Heaven, please pray for us all…

      Blessed Mother Mary, please pray for us all…
    • John  •  4 mths ago
      Holy Crocodile Batman!
    • The Guffaw Conspiracy  •  4 mths ago
      Are Cuban crocs Catholics or socialistic athiests?
    • Dave  •  Gainesville, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      What a croc!
    • A Yahoo User  •  4 mths ago
      Did he bless it?
    • Trailrunner2  •  Houston, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      The Pope sits on the Throne of St. Peter, who Jesus told, "You will be my rock".....what other chruch can say that....................................NONE......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Alexis  •  Miami, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      they should have let the croc kiss the pope's ring, maybe he could of ripped of the finger and ring that would of been exciting and a holy act on the part of the croc!!!!! the pope is an agent of the devil
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