Rare Crocodile Found in Florida

Rare Crocodile Found in Florida by Shondra Farner

Rare crocodile photo by Shondra Farner

A rare American crocodile was found by a St. Petersburg woman in Florida on Thursday, September 22, 2011.

The rare crocodile was discovered by Shondra Farner in her backyard and immediately contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission last Sunday, September 18, to report the rare reptile. Farner was able to take a picture of the rare crocodile (as seen above) with its mouth wide open from about a distance of 8 feet.

“That big boy was just about 8 feet from our patio. It’s terribly scary looking. And fast. When he turned to leave, I couldn’t believe how quick he was,” said Farner.

According the the FWC, the rare crocodile that Farner discovered is an endangered kind of the American crocodile. They hired crocodile experts on Thursday to catch the rare crocodile.

Within the United States the American crocodile is only found within the southern half of Florida. There is an estimated population of about 2,000 crocodiles in Florida according to reports, and they are usually found at 300 miles south in the Florida Keys where it is warmer.

FWC officials said they cannot kill the rare crocodile because it is endangered. They, however, started to capture the crocodile alive to implant a magnet on the rare crocodile and it will be released into the Tampa Bay. The magnet will help disorient the rare reptile and prevent it from returning to neighborhoods.

According to Lindsey Hord, the crocodile response coordinator for the wildlife commission, this may be the same crocodile that was reported in 2008.

Officials said that the rare crocodile may be feeding itself with ducks that swim in the water.