A few thousand crocodiles had been recaptured in the dense bush next to the river and in the adjacent orange groves Zane Langman, the son-in-law of Johan Boshoff, who owns Rakwena, told Beeld.

However, more than half of the reptiles were still at large.

Langman told the newspaper he and Boshoff were forced to open the crocodile farm's gates, out of fear that the force of the water would crush the walls of Boshoff's home.

"We've been recapturing them as and when the local farmers phone us to tell us that there are crocodiles on their property. In Weipe there were a lot, and I also heard there was a crocodile on school's rugby field in Musina," Langman said.

Most of the recapturing efforts were taking place at night, he said.