Small Crocodile Found During Kayaking in Pennsylvania

A small crocodile was spotted on Wednesday while kayakers were fishing at Lake Magnolia in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as reported by local outlet 6 ABC.

Ricky Sanchez was fishing when he realized something unusual had taken his bait. He described the moment, saying, “I got hooked on something and brought it closer. Yeah, it’s a gator. It’s definitely a gator. It can’t be here.”

He expressed a mix of excitement and surprise, mentioning, “I’ve never caught a crocodile before, so I was pretty surprised.” Sanchez recorded a video of the encounter, which was later shared online. In the footage, a small reptile splashes in the water before breaking his fishing line. Initially, Sanchez thought he had just caught a small fish.

Kyle Asplund, a local from Bucks County who operates a crocodile and wildlife sanctuary in Florida, saw the video of the incident and came to assist in capturing the reptile. He noted, “It’s about 30 minutes away, so I decided to wait until it gets dark. It’s easier to catch these animals then.”

Asplund informed the Bucks County Park Rangers about his plan to secure the crocodile and transport it to his sanctuary. The Bristol Township Police also alerted the community, stating they were aware of the crocodile in the Lake Magnolia area and had notified the Wildlife and Games Committee to address the situation. They advised residents to be cautious around the water until it was deemed safe.

After the successful capture of the crocodile, Bucks County Park Ranger chief Patrick Durkin expressed gratitude to Asplund for his assistance. He stated, “The Parks, Recreation and Park Rangers in Bucks County would like to thank Mr. Asplund for his help in bringing this unusual incident to an end.”

Reports indicated that crocodiles in Pennsylvania usually end up in the wild because they escaped or were abandoned by their owners.