Florida wildlife officials are searching for the crocodile that attacked and killed a family’s pet dog in South Miami on Thursday.
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Staffers are monitoring the area for the crocodile and if found, will determine whether it needs to be relocated, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Friday.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the canal behind the family’s home in the 6200 block of Southwest 64th Court.
Owner Enrique Pomares said he let his dog, Kygo, out in the backyard like usual when the crocodile suddenly came up and snatched him.
Kygo’s body was found hours later on the other side of the canal.
American crocodiles are native to South Florida and were federally listed as an endangered species in 1975.
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Their numbers have rebounded from a few hundred to as many as 2,000 today, the FWC said.
The small croc population and their wariness of people make conflicts with humans rare, and only two bite incidents have been documented in Florida, officials said.
“Crocodile sightings have increased in recent years for a few reasons. The crocodile population in Florida is increasing as a result of their population recovery, being seen in locations that they haven’t been to in decades, along with the growing number of people living and spending time on or near Florida’s waters,” the FWC said in a statement. “It’s important to remember to keep pets on a leash and small children away from the water’s edge, especially during nighttime hours, to avoid cases of mistaken identity. Pets often resemble crocodiles’ natural prey.”
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