Updated

A crocodile farm in South Africa is a little emptier Thursday after 15,000 of the farm's reptiles managed to escape following heavy rain, the Telegraph reports.

The thousands of crocodiles flew the coop after the owners of the Rakwena Crocodile Farm reportedly were forced to open the gates to prevent a storm surge from the rising waters of the nearby Limpopo River.

According to the Telegraph, about half of the crocodiles have been recaptured, while the other half have sprawled out across the region -- including in a rugby field 75 miles away from the farm.

"We've been recapturing them as, and when, the local farmers phone us to tell us that there are crocodiles on their property," said Zane Langman, the son-in-law of the farm's owner.

Most of the recapturing reportedly has taken place at night because crocodiles' eyes shine red in the dark, making them easier to spot, according to the Telegraph.

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