The reptile, measuring around half a metre in length, was found early in the morning when officers entered the property on Calle Pegaso as part of an operation linked to suspected criminal activity.

Instead of finding only evidence related to the investigation, they also encountered the exotic reptile, which requires specialist care and is not suitable for keeping as a pet.

The Guardia Civil's Nature Protection Service, known by its Spanish acronym Seprona, was unable to collect the animal immediately because of operational commitments. National Police officers therefore had to find an alternative to ensure the caiman could be transported safely.

The caiman was eventually transferred to La Reserva, a wildlife safari park in nearby El Castillo de las Guardas, for an expert veterinary assessment.

The park already houses an established collection of crocodilians in a dedicated wetland habitat. Experts noted that while this specimen was a mere 50cm long, even the smallest caiman species typically grow to an average length of 1.5 metres.

The discovery comes just two weeks after the Guardia Civil dismantled an alleged criminal network involved in the illegal trafficking of protected exotic species in the province of Seville.

During that operation, Seprona officers recovered 256 protected animals, including savannah monitor lizards, red-eyed tree frogs, spectacled caimans and an albino iguana.