Florida wildlife officials have taken a crocodile into permanent captivity after it was seen with a dead dog in its mouth.
The munching reptile was discovered Monday in South Patrick Shores, Florida, 65 miles east of Orlando.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded and wrangled the reptile, telling Miami’s WFOR-TV that it was “the only confirmed American crocodile documented in the area since 2018.”
Officials did not specify whether the crocodile is suspected of killing the dog or whether it scavenged an already dead dog.
“I remember being 6 feet away from the thing; it’s on dry land, and it just has its mouth open, sunning, and it has zero fear of humans now. When I saw the behavior, I knew something bad was going to happen,” nearby resident Zach Spurlock told Daytona Beach’s WESH, adding that he saw the croc multiple times before.
Others identified it by its state wildlife tag, #40 and noted that it kept coming back to the area despite previous relocations in the wild by state officials.
“It’s been going on for years with the same crocodile. I’ve seen the crocodile a few times, but never with a full-size dog in its mouth,” resident Joey Antonelli told Orlando’s WKMG-TV.
