TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man in Kaohsiung who caused panic online by posting pictures of a “crocodile” in a forest park has been fined NT$3,000 (US$93.15).
The croc was fake and the 27-year-old, surnamed Liu (劉), was exposed for his deception. He was made to face the consequences of his actions by Kaohsiung District Court, which punished him for disturbing the public order on Wednesday (Oct. 4)
Liu had bought the plastic crocodile and placed it on a rock in Aozidi Forest Park, in late July. He then took pictures that he posted on Facebook, saying, “This is Aozidi Park. I can hardly believe it but I don’t dare get too close in case it's real.”
The story went viral and was picked up by national media, per ETtoday. This prompted an investigation by the city’s Animal Protection Office, which referred the case to police. They got hold of Liu because he was the source of the story.
Liu confessed that he had bought the croc toy online for NT$1,840 and it was about 43 cm long. He also admitted staging the photo to make the "reptile" look much bigger and threatening — and posting the image online as a joke.
Kaohsiung District Court, however, failed to see the humor and slapped him with a NT$3,000 fine for breaking the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法). Liu can appeal.
Actual size of fake crocodile. (ETtoday screenshot)