A pair of men in Queensland, Australia, found a baby freshwater crocodile on a road several miles from its nearest natural habitat. Photo by Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay.com
March 31 (UPI) — A pair of Queensland, Australia, men were left scratching their heads when they came across a freshwater crocodile several miles from the animal’s nearest natural habitat.
Zane Hemmings spotted the crocodile on a street in Mudgeeraba, a Gold Coast suburb, and alerted his friend, Lachlan Sainsbury, who initially thought the other man was looking at a lizard and was simply confused.
The men captured the out-of-place reptile and alerted the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
“Freshwater crocodiles are native to Queensland, but their natural habitat is in rural areas in central, western and northwest Queensland,” a department spokesperson told 7News. “The Gold Coast is not considered to be freshwater crocodile habitat.”
The department said the 2-month-old crocodile was likely an escaped pet or an animal illegally relocated from its habitat in the wild.
The spokesperson said the croc will likely end up with a new home at a zoo or rescue farm.
