Rare crocodile found in Florida
There are only believed to be about 1,500 crocodiles in Florida, most of which are usually found in the Florida Keys area, some 300 miles south of St. Petersburg. I
In fact, crocodiles are so rare in and around St. Petersburg that officials didn’t initially believe Shondra Farner when she reported finding the croc near the community pond located in her backyard.
“He said, ‘No, ma’am, you have an alligator,’ and I said, ‘No, I know the difference,’” Farner stated. “That big boy was just about 8 feet from our patio… It’s terribly scary looking. And fast.”
Because endangered crocodiles are protected by law, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had to set up a trap filled with beef loin to capture the beast.
According to an official with the wildlife commission, this may actually be the same rare crocodile that was spotted south of St. Petersburg back in ’08. If it is, it’s been devouring ducks in the water in order to survive.
Officials now plan to implant a magnet into the croc to disorient it before they release it into Tampa Bay in hopes of keeping it from coming back to area neighborhoods.
Source: blippitt
