MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida homeowner got quite the surprise over the weekend in their backyard pool.
On Sunday night, the homeowner in Plantation Key called for help after discovering a roughly 10-foot-long American crocodile.
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Wildlife experts and trappers, Pesky Critters Wildlife Control, were called out to wrangle up the big reptile.
“Expert wildlife trapper Todd Hardwick quickly secured the crocodile, even after it’s massive splashes created a slick and dangerous footing situation on the pool deck. He and assistant trapper Jeff Peterla heaved it onto the deck where a Monroe county officer then assisted them with moving it to a safe location for release,” the company said.
Video shows the trappers moving the crocodile to a new location where it was set free.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, American crocodiles live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida and the Keys.
The somewhat shy and reclusive species can be found in brackish or saltwater areas and can be found in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps. American crocodiles have been listed as an endangered species since 1975 and since that time, numbers have recovered from a few hundred individuals to as many as 2,000 adult crocodiles today.
MCSO assists FWC in relocating crocodile: https://t.co/ECsxujCqBY pic.twitter.com/Pz3Z4sj0BG
— Florida Keys Sheriff (@mcsonews) June 12, 2023
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