Crocodile Found At Roseville Strip Mall Recovering
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) – A Nile crocodile found wandering a Roseville strip mall is recovering at a Department of Fish and Wildlife center.
Police think someone dropped the croc off outside a reptile store, but it managed to get out of its box.
A preliminary evaluation by a veterinarian found that the croc has an infection in its mouth. The reptile is also missing some of its teeth.
Wildlife officials are will be looking for a permanent home for the crocodile, but it will first need to go through a thorough health assessment.
"It's very difficult to find a placement for an alligator, but hopefully not as difficult to find a place for a crocodile because nobody has crocodiles," said Patrick Foy with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Officials say that the crocodile looks to have a voracious appetite, with it already eating some fish from the nearby Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
"Often times what happens when normal people have these [crocodiles] they really don't know how to take of them," said Dr. Ben Gonzales, a Fish and Wildlife veterinarian.
The department says the crocodile weighs around 20 pounds and is about 4 feet long.
