A South Florida neighborhood is on edge after a resident captured footage of a crocodile floating in a Coral Gables marina with a dog in its mouth.
Christopher Carey recorded cell phone video of the crocodile just moments after it snatched the puppy and dragged it under water in Gables by the Sea, a gated community south of Miami. Carey posted the video on Facebook and said he wants others in the community to be aware of the crocs prowling the area.
"It's super, super dangerous," Carey said, noting the dog was "full-grown," and not a small pup. "The people who don't have seawalls, the [crocodile] can come right up the yard, and it could easily be a child."
Neighbors say it's the second dog in recent weeks that has been attacked by a croc.
Resident Keisha Eberwein says she usually spots the crocs sunbathing in the area. But few years ago Eberwein had a close encounter with one reptile going for a few laps in her pool — an incident she says she captured on video.
Eberwein said she's lucky that no one from her family, including her young children, were swimming at the time. She has since emplaced a seawall andis trying to encourage others in the area to do the same.
"I'd like to see the city, the county, somebody forced to, people who don't have seawalls, to maybe put one up to make this not as inviting for crocs to breed here," Eberwein said.
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Caution signs warning residents to watch out for the crocodiles, which are federally protected, are posted throughout the neighborhood.
Nonetheless, residents like Eberwein are concerned the threat will continue if something more drastic isn't implemented.
"It's only a matter of time before they take a kid," Eberwein said.
Wildlife officials issued these tips for residents:
- Closely supervise children - never allow small children near water unsupervised.
- Do not allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in water that may contain crocodiles.
- Use fencing or other barriers to separate you and your pets from crocs.
- Never feed or entice a croc.
- Never remove a crocodile from its natural habitat or accept one as a pet.
