The reptile, called Kuzya, has reached around two meters in length and weighs close to 100 kilograms.
MIAMI, United States. – The owner of a Cuban crocodile who has lived since the mid-90s in a plumbing store in Novosibirsk, Russiais considering asking the Cuban Consulate in Moscow to help him return the animal to the Island, given the risk that the authorities will force him to transfer it to another facility in the Eurasian country.
The idea of a possible “repatriation” to Cuba was formulated by the owner of the reptile, Evgueni Fradkin, in statements to the Russian newspaper Moskovski Komsomolets (MK)which has followed up on the case.
Fradkin explained that, if other options within Russia fail, he considers going to the Cuban diplomatic representation: “It occurred to me to go to the consular section of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation. That they return our Cuban crocodile to its historical homeland, to its natural habitat, if it is such a rare and endangered species. It would be a repatriate,” the individual declared to the Russian newspaper.
So far, none of the media consulted has reported on efforts already made before the Cuban Consulate or on any response from the Cuban authorities. “Nrepatriation” appears only as a possibility raised by the owner.
The crocodile, known as Kuzya, has lived for almost 30 years in a large aquarium set up in a Novosibirsk plumbing store and has become a local attraction. However, their situation changed after the Russian Government approved, last May, a decree that established a list of wild animals whose possession in private homes was prohibited. Included in that list are crocodiles, which can only be kept in zoos or other licensed specialized institutions.
According to M.K. and with the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazetathe Russian Federal Service for Supervision in the Field of Natural Resources Management (Rosprirodnadzor) issued a request to Fradkin to hand over Kuzya to a specialized institution before February 11, 2026. The owner himself assures that there is already an offer to transfer the reptile to a crocodile farm in the city of Yekaterinburg, but insists that he would prefer to keep him in his care or, ultimately, send him to Cuba.
The case has a legal nuance that could be key. The new Russian regulations provide for an exception for animals included in the prohibited list, as long as they were acquired before January 1, 2020. In this case, their owners can continue to keep them until natural death, if they meet the welfare conditions.
Fradkin maintains that he bought the crocodile in 1996, at a pet store, when the animal was very small. “We bought it in a normal pet store, it was very small then. At that time the legislation did not restrict the keeping of these animals. We called the crocodile Kuzya,” he told M.K..
The problem is that the owner recognizes that he no longer keeps the purchase receipt, which would serve as documentary evidence to qualify for the exemption provided by law. Without that document, Kuzya’s situation is left to Rosprirodnadzor’s interpretation and what Russian courts may eventually decide if Fradkin takes the case to court.
Although Kuzya is presented in the Russian press as a “Cuban crocodile”, the available information only documents its history from 1996, when, according to its owner, it was purchased in a pet store in Novosibirsk. None of the sources consulted explain how the animal left Cuba and arrived in Russia, nor under what legal conditions this transfer occurred.
M.K. and Rossiyskaya Gazeta They describe Kuzya as a “Cuban crocodile” that has reached around two meters in length and weighs close to 100 kilograms. The animal lives in a special aquarium equipped with water filters, infrared lamps and a shower. He has, according to his owner, “an excellent appetite” and a diet based on freshwater carps (Siberian carasi), which he can consume three to four large ones in a single meal, in addition to vitamins and mineral supplements.
Over the years, Kuzya has become a kind of “talisman” of the store and a small local celebrity. Media in the region, such as Vesti Novosibirskhave published reports showing the crocodile inside the establishment and collecting testimonies from customers who come, not only to buy plumbing materials, but also to see the reptile. Fradkin assures that different authorities inspected the place several times a year, without questioning the animal’s welfare conditions until the new regulations came into force.
The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer), an endemic species of the Island, appears in “Appendix I” of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)which groups the most endangered species, subject to strong restrictions on any cross-border movement.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the species “critically endangered” and indicates that it has a very limited distribution in areas such as the Zapata Swamp and the Isla de la Juventud.
If Fradkin actually decided to attempt shipping Kuzya to Cuba, it would be a complex process, requiring export and import permits under CITES, coordination between Russian and Cuban environmental authorities, and the willingness of a Cuban institution to receive the animal in captivity or include it in conservation programs.
The Cuban Embassy in Moscow offers consular services, including procedures related to citizenship and documentation, according to the specialized diplomatic repertoires consulted, although these do not mention cases related to wildlife.
