In a rather unusual sighting, a crocodile was spotted soaking up the sun on a dock at the Bay Colony Club condo complex in Fort Lauderdale. Onlookers couldn't resist pulling out their phones to capture the unexpected guest lounging comfortably along the water's edge.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was called for assistance but was unable to respond immediately due to the holiday, as Nicole Esperson, the resident who first caught a glimpse of the crocodile, was informed that help could not be sent because it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as WSVN reported. She told the outlet, "We have a crocodile and it is sitting on a floating dock here in Bay Colony club."
The scaly sunbather isn't a stranger to the area; it was identified by its orange tag and a transponder affixed to its back. Resident Frank Colletti told WSVN about a similar sighting weeks earlier, "Wild, wild, wild! Unbelievable! I noticed it has an orange tag on it so it’s definitely tagged. I hear it was in Pompano Beach a couple weeks ago at the Pompano Pier." Concern was expressed for the safety of small pets, prompting a cautionary email to residents advising them not to walk their dogs on the dock.
According to a community member interviewed by ABC Action News, the Florida Fish and Wildlife officials are expected to visit the site soon. While the community awaits the experts to confirm whether this is the same reptile seen at Pompano Pier, resident Will Toldy commented, "As long as everyone maintains their distance and let him do his thing, everyone else does their thing, life goes on."
As Fort Lauderdale inhabitants await this distinctive neighbor's next move, the consensus around the dock is one of cautious coexistence, hoping the crocodile will find its way to a new, less residential canal, as quickly as possible.
