‘Just not comfortable’: Pressure mounting to remove crocodile as Florida law enforcement gets involved
SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. - A crocodile is too close for comfort in some waterfront communities.
Earlier this week, FOX 35 News reported on the reptile eating a dog in a Satellite Beach canal. Pressure from some homeowners is intensifying to relocate the reptile before it strikes again.
Neighbors who live near water said they have seen the crocodile swim right up to the shore in their back canals, and people often watch children wade through the water where the crocodile has been hanging out. Some are worried it’s a matter of time before a tragedy unfolds.
"Someone’s animal or some person will be injured or killed," said Cathy Nielsen who lives next to a canal and has been keeping watch on the crocodile they think is about seven to eight feet long.
It’s been spotted in numerous waterways and hiding under docks."
Protected species, but it doesn’t need to be here," added Terrance Strand who is worried about his 16 grandchildren who often play in his backyard.
He isn’t alone.
"I understand they’re endangered species and again, we live in Florida – but we’re just not comfortable as a community having a crocodile make it our home," echoed Cheri Marks who’s the HOA president for Manatee Reserve.
She says seniors, kids, and pets could all be in danger from the rare reptile that already ate a small pug dog on July 31.
"It’s just worse than you can even imagine," Nielsen added, thinking about the grieving family. "I mean, they’re part of your family."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) calls American crocodiles in Florida a conservation success story. Their numbers have grown from a few hundred to nearly 2,000, and the animal is federally protected meaning it's illegal to feed or harm them. Still, it’s been difficult to change the public’s perception of the animal.]
"Crocodile, unfortunately, is one of the worst hated animals on the planet," said Chris Guinto who’s the Executive Director for The Crocodile Foundation.
Guinto is also a retired FWC crocodile trapper who now runs a nonprofit foundation to protect and preserve the animal. He said crocodiles are reclusive creatures and human encounters are rare, but this is a delicate situation.
"You want to make sure that people’s animals and the people’s interests are the best safety and of course also the crocodile, we want to make sure people don’t go out there and shoot the animal," he added.
In his decades of working closely with crocodiles, he says it’s highly unlikely for the crocodile to jump onto a pier or back deck but any furry animal that ends up in the water is the reptile's first choice for food.
As for what’s next, FWC said, they’re getting law enforcement involved. It’s important to stay away from the water’s edge at dusk and dawn because that’s when the animal eats and make sure to keep animals on a leash at all times.