“Very Concerning”: Crocodile Found Journeying on Long Island Walking Trail
A 2-foot long crocodile was found taking a stroll on a walking trail in Long Island, New York.
On Sep. 17, employees of Holtsville were walking outside of the Holtsville Wildlife & Ecology Center. As the center was closed, the duo was instantly concerned, so they alerted the center’s employees.
The employees contained the reptile, and called the Strong Island Animal Rescue League (SIARL) to take it. Deputies with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) also came to the center.
Crocodile Captured
“Good job to the girls who were able to keep eyes on him and get him contained till help got there! This is a serious problem and needs to be addressed as it’s not good for many reasons letting this or any animal loose like this,” a Facebook post by the SIARL reads.
In a video attached to the post, the crocodile is seen laying calm in the box it was captured in. Even when the staff member picked it up, it didn’t appear frightened or threatened.
The SIARL asked anyone who knows how the reptile got there to message them. They’re offering $1,000 to individuals who can provide further information, or who know who dumped the reptile so they can be detained.
Concerns About the Crocodile
The organization’s staff returned to the Holtsville Wildlife & Ecology Center the next day to see if other reptiles had been dumped, but luckily none were found. Currently, the crocodile is being looked after by the DEC, and it will be taken to a center to be rehabilitated.
Officials are still searching for the person who dumped the crocodile.
During an interview with the New York Post, Frank Floridia, the president of the SIARL, said the reptile’s discovery was “very concerning.”
He detailed how he himself was the one who rescued the crocodile, and as the video displayed, the crocodile didn’t put up a fight — but this isn’t always the case. “If he bit somebody, you’re gonna feel it. It can tear your ligaments. It can seriously hurt somebody,” Floridia told the outlet.
Yet the finding of the crocodile wasn’t only worrying for its discoverers. It can also put the reptile’s life at risk if it isn’t in its correct habitat, potentially preventing it from surviving.
Crocodiles in New York
Luckily, crocodile dumpings are not very common in New York, but alligators make their appearances slightly more often.
Per A-Z Animals, from 2018 to 2019, around five alligators were spotted across Staten Island and Brooklyn.
