The phrase 'look before you leap' is good advice, especially if you have a pool in Florida.
A homeowner on Lower Matecumbe Key certainly wouldn't argue after finding a crocodile in his swimming pool.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to the residence near mile marker 77. The sheriff's office estimated the crocodile's size to be about 8 feet long.
It was initially reported that they were able to remove the reptile and return him to his natural habitat. But a FWC officer later said that the crocodile got out of the pool and walked back into the ocean when he saw people show up.
Video recorded by a wildlife officer showed the croc take a leisurely stroll back into the ocean.
The American crocodile is designated as a federal threatened species. It lives mainly in brackish waters of South Florida and the Keys.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
