Crocodiles and alligators are a common sight in Florida. There are occasions when they have been rescued and relocated from private properties, school gyms, and even parking plots. Now a video of a 10-foot American crocodile being rescued from the backyard pool of a home in Florida Keys in the middle of the night as surfaced on the internet.
The video, posted online by Pesky Critters Wildlife Control (pesky_critters) on Instagram shows expert wildlife trapper Todd Hardwick and his assistant trapper Jeff Peterla struggling to capture the crocodile that is splashing around the pool and resisting the crocodile wrangler. After a little bit of struggle the crocodile was rescued and released into a nearby body of water.
''At 2 am Sunday, June 11, 2023 wildlife officials received a call from a homeowner in Plantation Key at Mile Marker 90 about a MASSIVE 10ft American crocodile in their pool. Pesky Critters Wildlife Control trappers were dispatched to fulfill their role as FWC Crocodile Agents. Expert wildlife trapper Todd Hardwick quickly secured the crocodile, even after its massive splashes created a slick and dangerous footing situation on the pool deck. He and assistant trapper Jeff Peterla heaved it onto the deck where a Monroe county officer then assisted them with moving it to a safe location for release,'' read the caption of the post shared by Pesky Critters Wildlife Control.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, American crocodiles are most common in the US around South Florida's coastlines. They are a threatened species in Florida and endangered everywhere else in the United States.
The video of the rescue was praised by several social media users. An Instagram user wrote, "Great job helping this croc find his way back into his environment! Sometimes they get a little confused."
"Woah!!!!! You guys are awesome!," commented another user on the video.