Croc-like creature on the loose

It's no Loch Ness Monster, but a crocodile loose in a Hamilton pond is proving just as elusive.


Bry Loyst, curator at the Indian River Reptile Zoo, was scouring a pond just outside the city for most of the day on Tuesday hoping to catch sight of the animal and capture it.

"It's a needle in a haystack at the moment," he said, noting there's lots of shrubbery and reeds along the shore that make easy hiding places for a large reptile. "It's a lake, and it also connects to other rivers and things like that. So it could have swam anywhere, really."

After five hours of searching on Tuesday, the team held a meeting to determine how to proceed. Making it even more difficult is the fact they're not entirely sure what they're looking for.

"When I was here yesterday I definitely saw something," Loyst said. "But we're not 100% sure."

Based on a photo captured by local wildlife photographer Tom Badeau, many believe the creature to be crocodilian in nature. But what species it might be, and how big, is largely guesswork at the moment.

"It's an invasive species and needs to be taken out," Loyst said. "That's why the conservation society is so intent on finding this thing."

While the creature wouldn't survive the winter -- and depending on its diet, maybe not even the month -- authorities are still trying to catch the animal before it has a chance to upset the local ecosystem.

According to Loyst, the animal isn't a danger to people but they should call the Hamilton Conservation Authority if they see it.

Pet crocodiles and alligators are often abandoned when they get too big.


Posted By QMI AGENCY
(submitted by Chad Arment)