Crocodiles turning up in Broward, Palm Beach

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | December 22, 2013 | David Fleshler

[ConservativeStatement]

Fields' encounter with a 10-foot American crocodile has become a more common experience in Broward and Palm Beach counties, as these light gray cousins of alligators reclaim their historic range. Crocodile numbers have risen from a low of 200 or so in the 1970s to about 2,000 today, with more of them roaming north from their core nesting areas in southern Everglades National Park and the Upper Florida Keys.

There have been no documented attacks on people in South Florida, the only part of the United States with crocodiles, although biologists won't rule out the possibility.

[ConservativeStatement]

"Still, many people enjoy having crocodiles on their property. One Keys neighborhood held a memorial for a crocodile that had been killed."

Awesome.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

They aren’t a problem except when people act like idiots.

[minnesota_bound]

Rush lives in that area. He better not take a walk on the beach at night...gulp.

[Bratch]

As long as they have an attack cat!

[Maceman]

They aren’t a problem except when people act like idiots.

Well there's no shortage of people acting like idiots these days.

[BwanaNdege]

That looks like an alligator.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Crocodiles are a natural idiot control mechanism.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It is an alligator.

[ETL]

[Slump Tester]

Walking on the beach would qualify as “exercise”. So he probably won’t.

[Bratch]

It is.

Cat vs Gator

[dfwgator]

The Gator was just doing their impersonation of the Gators’ offense this year.

[Cruz_West_Paul2016]

I wonder what %% of these crocodiles are hispanic.

[353FMG]

Throw the cat in the water and you’ll see an entirely different outvome.

[nomad]

So who`s importing the crocodiles? There are no crocodiles in North America, only alligators. Now there is a South American cousin called the Caiman, long thin snout, crocodile like body.

[cableguymn]

The Croc’s are just helping hand out Darwin awards. It’s all good.

[Damifino]

These are native crocodiles. The stretch of road going into the keys has been designed to funnel their movement though a culvert system using fencing rather than getting struck by cars in the road. The crocs are (at least were) quite endangered.

As I understand it, it's the only place in the world that alligators and crocs share a habitat. Kinda cool actually.

[ConservativeStatement]

From what I know, the American croc is the one species that lives as far north as south Florida. Exotic pet trade is not uncommon, however.

[Ransomed]

I think I remember Steve Irwin catching/featuring them, he said they are much less aggressive than other sorts of crocs, if I recall.

Freegards

[jimsin]

As long as they have an attack cat!...

WELL, LOOKIT THERE....GATOR JERKY AND FRICKASEED KITTY... LUNCH IS SERVED....A 2-COURSE MEAL ON 8 FEETS...MOTHER NATURE PROVIDES FOR US ALL.....