A crocodile was seen slowly walking across a street to reach Highland Oaks Park in Miami-Dade County on Jan. 20.
MIAMI – A crocodile was spotted slowly walking across a street to reach Highland Oaks Park in Miami-Dade County last week.
Video of the incident captured on Jan. 20 showed the animal making its way across the road as police stood nearby.
According to local reports, Miami-Dade County resident Rick Schermer, who filmed the large reptile, saw the animal returning to a nearby lake that it frequents.
Crocodiles are native to South Florida, where the numbers of the once-endangered animal have slowly increased, according to the National Park Service.
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Crocodile crossing the road.
(Rick Schermer /TMX / FOX Weather)
So, while the worldwide population of crocodiles is listed as endangered, the status of the crocodile population in Florida has been changed to threatened.
Because of these rising numbers, officials in the Miami neighborhood of Pinecrest said the number of complaints about the reptiles have increased, as well. This is also in part due to the rising number of people living in and visiting South Florida.
Florida residents and tourists are advised to maintain a distance of at least 15 feet from crocodiles, according to the NPS. They also advise against feeding or harassing the animals, which is a criminal offense that comes with a fine.