A Chinese court has auctioned off 100 tons of live crocodiles for four million yuan (US$550,000) in a sale that required buyers to pick the reptiles up in person.

This unusual auction attracted widespread public attention for its sheer scale and logistical challenges, and also triggered much amusement online.

Recently, the Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Court captured public attention by auctioning off the unlikely animals online. The starting bid was set at four million yuan.

Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, hosted the auction on its Alibaba Judicial Auction Platform.

The reptiles were originally owned by the Guangdong Hongyi Crocodile Industry Company, which was founded in 2005 by Mo Junrong.

Mo was once dubbed “Crocodile God,” and had registered capital of more than 50 million yuan (US$7 million).