An ’11-foot crocodile’ was filmed swimming with a dead dog in its mouth, but where the monster was spotted makes the whole situation so much worse

A massive crocodile was seen swimming in a Florida canal with a dead dog in its mouth this week. The shocking sight left people in the area upset and worried about their own safety. The whole thing happened on Monday in South Patrick Shores.

According to People, a man named Zack Spurlock recorded the crocodile on video. He went to check it out after a friend sent him a message about what they saw. His friend was out walking their baby in a stroller when they came across the huge reptile. Spurlock said that watching this happen was really hard, especially since he has a dog himself.

Spurlock’s friend told him that “10 feet away is this 11-foot crocodile swimming with a Golden Retriever-type breed in its mouth.” The fact that the crocodile was so close to a person with a baby made everyone even more scared about what could have happened.

The location of this crocodile sighting has raised serious safety concerns

Where this crocodile showed up is what makes everything so much scarier. The animal was swimming around near an elementary school and close to where many families live. This means kids and parents could run into this dangerous creature while just going about their normal day near the water. Florida has seen several dangerous wildlife encounters recently, making it clear that people need to stay careful.

This is not the first time Spurlock has seen this particular crocodile. “I’m a dog owner. I know they’re part of the family and so I couldn’t help but have my heart go out to them that their worst fear had come true,” he said. Spurlock claims he filmed the same crocodile about three weeks before this incident. In fact, he has spotted it many times over the last three years.

The crocodile keeps coming back to the same canal no matter what people do. “We’ve seen the crocodile get relocated three to four times, and each time it makes its way back. It really likes that canal,” Spurlock explained.

Even though wildlife officials have tried moving the animal before, it always finds its way back to the neighborhood. Wildlife incidents in Florida continue to make headlines, showing that outdoor dangers are a real concern for people in the state.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told CBS News Miami that this is the only American crocodile anyone has seen in this area since 2018. After what happened with the dog, officials caught the crocodile and took it out of the canal.

Fire department workers helped with the job. This time, the agency decided to put the crocodile somewhere it will stay for good instead of just moving it somewhere else.

The FWC wants people to remember some important rules about staying safe around crocodiles and alligators. Never feed these animals and always keep your distance if you see one. They also say you should only swim in areas meant for swimming and only when it is still light outside. Keep your pets on a leash and do not let them get near the water.