Crocodile "Sifis" found dead on Greek island of Crete, after several attempts to capture it

A two-meter-long crocodile, which has became a national sensation over the last nine months on the Greek island of Crete, was found dead this week, local authorities announced.

The crocodile with the nickname "Sifis" (a popular first name for men on the island) did not survive the heavy winter, as Crete was hit by extremely low temperatures falling even below zero this year, experts explained.

The reptile was transferred to the Natural History Museum in Heraklion city for tests to determine the cause of death and his origin if possible.

The crocodile's capture turned into an adventure since July, when it appeared for the first time in a lake near a river dam to the seaside of Rethymno city.

As crocodiles are not native to the country, Greek scientists believed that the reptile was kept as a pet and was abandoned.

"Sifis" became a tourist attraction with crowds of people approaching the area just to take a glimpse of the mysterious fugitive.

Experts from Greece and abroad, among them famous herpetologist from France Olivier Behra, joined many operations trying to capture alive the reptile and relocate it to a tropical environment, but with no luck. The last time experts saw the reptile was in February. Enditem