'Never experienced anything like this': Florida residents pleading with FWC to relocate crocodile
INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH, Fla. - A crocodile is calling Brevard County home, and some neighbors say it needs to go before someone gets hurt.
FOX 35 News first told you about the reptile when it was spotted eating a small pug dog in Satellite Beach a few months ago. People who live on the water near De Soto Park say it’s coming even closer to homes. On Sunday, neighbors saw the 8 to 9-foot croc on land about 20 yards away from homes. The community is asking for help before someone gets hurt.
"I’ve lived here over 10 years, and we’ve never experienced anything like this," said Cheri Marks who’s been concerned about the animal from the beginning.
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Marks is leading the charge trying to control this crocodile because she cares about her community and sees the risks from her back porch. The reptile came on land in Brad Dyer’s backyard over the weekend. He says it could have been out for longer, but he spotted it when he returned from church and says it stayed in the open for about 30 minutes.
"So far, we have just got replies that this is their natural habitat, there’s nothing we can do," Dyer said. "They’re a protected species."
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Neighbors say the canal where the crocodile is living is full of activity. While on the scene, FOX 35 cameras captured someone washing off their shoes in the water in the same location the croc’s been known to hide under the deck.
"I feel like they are taking the crocodile’s concerns over the people," Marks exclaimed.
She says she wasn’t satisfied with the response she received from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) over the weekend when she reported the sighting. In an email, they say the crocodile is basking which people mistake for the animal becoming abnormally bold. The agency’s response didn’t calm her concerns.
She feels "not heard." Marks says, "I have reached out several times. They told me to keep in touch, and if the behavior changed, then they would take a look into what can be done."
Cooler weather may push the animal away, according to experts.
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"Chances are really high it’s going to head back south," said Joe Wasilewski who’s a conservation biologist in South Florida who specializes working with crocodiles.
He’s worked with crocodiles for decades. He says unlike alligators, crocodiles need warmer water to thrive, and re-location will be a challenge because of federal protections.
"They are managed by the FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the last thing either agency wants to do is relocate the animal," he concluded.
FWC tells FOX 35, it is continuing to monitor the situation. It also says they’ve made numerous visits to speak with concerned residents in the area. These homeowners say, no one’s been out to talk with them once.