Police hunt weirdness with Helicopters

Police Helicopters are busy in Wales and the marches. While one was used to hunt the Ammanford Wolfman recently and of course there was the massive Cardiff UFO - helicopter chase last year. The latest report from the Marcher county of Gloucestershire is that the Police are using them to hunt a "Lion".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8061265.stm

Clearly I should have tried to get a police helicopter to hunt the Swansea Crocodile last year :)

Link courtsey of the CFZ blog where Tim Mathews notes the similarities between Big Cat hunts and Ufology. Which I guess is true enough regarding enthusiasts though the authorities too seem to take Big Cat reports far more seriously than they do UFOs nowadays.

TIM MATTHEWS: Are big cat hunters the new UFOlogists?

Crocodile or Otterdile?

One of the popular sceptical explanations for lake monsters is they are otters. See this video:



The idea that otters frequently swim in lines has not been popular with cryptozoologists as this post shows.

Cryptomundo.com » Otter Nonsense

Certainly some distant sightings of otters might confuse some people.

There has been otters sighted at the lake:

"just a few mounths ago there was a report of a otter in there so it was probelt the same one there" callum semmens 14, Neath

There has been a ongoing resurgence in otter numbers over the last ten years in the Swansea area as across the UK. Anglers on the Tawe are blaming otters for fish losses. See the Otter Survey of Wales 2002 which reports

In the 1977/8 and 1984/5 surveys, all the sites in this
hydrometric area were negative but a major increase
was evident in 1991 with 44% of sites positive. A
further 17 positive sites in 2002 now brings the
proportion of positive sites to 78% (81% if only the
sites common to all surveys are compared).
The greatest increases were associated with the
upper reaches of the Tawe and tributaries such as the
Twrch and Lower Clydach, where all the previously
negative sites became positive. Smaller rivers flowing
into the Loughor estuary also showed increases. Also
significant is the presence of otters on the Lliedi
reservoirs, near Llanelli, in an area with considerable
human disturbance.

Otters are mainly found upstream then but the closeness of Pluck lake to the river means that reports of otters here are not impossible. Perhaps most intriguing is the mystery plague of deaths blamed on otters or mink in Swansea a few years ago which caused panic amongst pond owners.

News - South West Wales - 'Mink' warning after fish deaths

6 Jan 2004

Since the late summer, an unknown animal has been preying on ponds in back gardens across the Killay and Derwen Fawr areas, killing dozens of fish.

Members of a gardening club believe a mink or possibly an otter is responsible and are urging people to protect their ponds.

Following an attack that left around a dozen of their neighbour's Koi carp decapitated, Alma and Ray Jenkins have covered the pond at their home on Dylan Road in Killay with mesh.

There was blood and fish remains everywhere but just the heads were taken Alma Jenkins

The couple say they know of at least eight incidents in the area in the past six months, but believe there could be many more that have gone unreported.

There are other reports:

RW Swansea
At 4.00am on 20th May I saw an adult otter on the Oystermouth Road directly opposite tescos and swansea i was driving at the time and got within 20 feet of it and saw it for at least 30 seconds i was struck at how big it was and obviously that it was so close to the city centre. I didnt think that there was a wild population in swansea and actually reported it to the police.

The problem for saying the Pluck Lake sighting was an otter is the distance. Steve Jenkins was only 3-4m from the creature. Thus it cannot be an otter I think.

Swansea croc hunt

Another blog with a croc hunt :) Nice pictures...

Making It Snappy

Hunting the Croc at Night

Here are the photos from last nights expedition. The plan was discussed here Old Red Eyes - Croc Hunting at Night. As dusk fell and darkness grew across the land we prepared to see if the croc, which is a mostly nocturnal animal would emerge. At the start looking round the lake in the gloaming I noted there were loads of footprints from monster hunters so I think the area round the lake has been very well covered since the publicity had started. I also talked to a friendly guy who had brought his two kids to look for the croc.



I wandered around in reed beds in the dark and checked likely places nearby for croc using a torch to check for eye shine. The street lamps illuminated the lake well so if he was there it would be easy to spot him.

Man Thing Copyright Marvel Comics
Not seen in Swansea yet!

There was no sign of the croc but it increasingly felt like Blair Witch or Man/Swamp Thing country as we blundered around in the dark through muddy areas and reeds. Not exactly the Florida keys but at least it wasn't raining and there was also a lack of midges buzzing us. In ancient welsh lore such areas are good ones to see ellylldan or canwll corfe "corpse candles" [Elf-fire, willow the wisps or Jack O'Lanterns are some of the English names] widely associated with the supernatural and ill omens but now generally seen as swamp gas. They also were seen in graveyards and other places too so it is a little more complex than that.




Discoveries included a pipe which I guess may be part of the old workings as there were quarries, mines and industry in this area. It was about 100m from the water and was an ideal hiding place but we decided crawling down there after a croc was a bad idea!



Then we found the rustling bramble bush which clearly had an animal in. Fancy plunging a hand in to see what it is? I think not. Didn't seem to be a croc shaped way in so we left it alone.


Also some idiots had chucked another trolley in the water and tore down the life belts. Very clever.

We also almost got run down by a 4 by 4 which zoomed past us. I think someone may have been shining headights onto water looking for the croc. Good tactic often used by crocodile hunters. But the croc I suspect is not in the water. If it is still alive it may have gone into hibernation till the weather improves. The problem is with a pine forest 5m or so from the waters edge on the north side, the reedbeds and vegetation to the east and Kilvey hill on the south with tons of bushes and trees there are tons of places for an animal to hide.

I don't think we are finding anything soon to be honest. But who knows.

Pluck Lake is 1km away directly from a far larger body of water Fendrod Lake which lies to the North-east and has more fish and bird life . Although the direct root takes you through a built up area a more roundabout way goes through the nature reserve then only 300 odd m from the lake. But it looks like you would have to go through a railway line. Or there maybe underground tunnels between Fendrod and Pluck Lake so I have been told! More about these in a future posts.

Perhaps a more likely destination is that you can after crossing the road travel through woodland to reach the Tawe. This is only 650m from the lake. So the croc maybe long gone!

That is if it fancies moving long distances which I doubt.

Swansea Crocodile latest news report

Big Article on Croc in Swansea Evening Post yesterday on page 3.

No snap decision, there's a croc!

'Steve, aged 49, said: "I was out on Sunday morning walking the dog out at the lake and was walking around the lake when I saw something moving in the water.

"It was like a millpond, as still as anything.

"I thought it was a log.

"But there were ripples coming from around it. I thought it could be a fish. As I was just four metres out, I thought I must be seeing things.

"I shouted to the dog, and it (the reptile) turned away and dived back down and into the water. It was either a crocodile or an alligator.

"It was about a metre long."

"I am 100 per cent positive."

Steve, of Oakwood, Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot, said: "I went straight home and told my partner and she said 'you better report it to the police because youngsters go swimming there in the summer'." Steve is convinced it was an alligator he saw, adding that he had seen them before in Florida. "I think somebody must have had it as a pet," he added.

"I was watching a television programme a few years ago, and it said people buy these monkeys and crocs and once they get a bit too big for the bath they let them go.

"That's the only way I can think how it got there."

Swansea resident Gwilym Games, a member of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said crocodile reports were quite common.

He said: "There have been quite a few reports of crocodiles in different lakes in the UK."

More at the article Read this article

Swansea Tourism once again express their hope that this will rival Loch Ness :)

Interesting to note the RSPCA has noted some nasty abuse of animals in South Wales recently:

RSPCA CALLS FOR END TO ATTACKS

Evening Post 09:00 - 03 May 2008

The Rspca is calling for an end to airgun abuse of animals in South Wales, following a spate of attacks. Two cats, a bird and a horse were shot with airgun pellets during March and April. The bird and one of the cats had to be put to sleep as a result of their injuries.RSPCA chief inspector Elaine Spence said: "Mindless airgun attacks on pets and wildlife are a serious problem. These incidents only provide a snapshot of the issue, and many more animals are suffering needless pain and death. Sadly, not all incidents are reported to us or witnessed."

The charity is appealing for the public to report any incidents to the police, and asks parents not to buy their child a gun unless they are going to supervise them at all times.

Old Red Eyes - Croc Hunting at Night in Swansea

Earlier this evening we went croc hunting. Why at night? Well thats one of the best time to look according to experts. Most crocs are nocturnal hunters and as Crocs eyes strongly reflect light, even from a distance, anyone searching for crocs finds that using lights to scan the water for their eye-shine is the best way to spot them at night allowing you to see their glowing red eyes. This eye-shine comes from a special crystal layer at the back of their eye called the "tapetum lucidum" which reflects light. Crocodiles have excellent night vision as a result of this layer.

Did we find the croc? No but we do have some interesting photos. To be honest the search was a long shot I think from what I have discovered it is either dead or has hidden itself very well and won't be moving until the temperature gets into the 20s. More results from the search to come.

By the way I have noted famed cryptozoologist and CFZ member Nick Redfern has noted us on his blog thanks to Siani. See here: A Welsh Crocodile

Latest and More media coverage

Swarms of croc hunters were at the lake yesterday. I have heard from someone who was there but no new signs have been found as far as I know.

If the Caiman has died in the water it will float belly up. It may be in undergrowth somewhere.

From BBC News: Another interview with Steve.

Stephen Jenkins, from Pontrhydyfen, said: "I was walking my dog and me being a
fisherman and being nosy near water - I was having a look and I could see
something moving in the water.
"I thought at first it was a fish or
something or a log - but there was no wind or anything.
"But I could see the
ripples coming off this. I had a closer look and it was about four metres from
me."
Mr Jenkins said: "I could see the legs and the nose and the tail and
everything.
"It just swam down into the deep end, it's eyes were just on top
of the water as it was moving the eyes were coming towards me."

Crocodile sighting in city lake BBC News

Couple more brief news bits.
Unlikely crocodile hunt in WalesMetro, A crocodile hunt was launched in Wales yesterday after one 'was seen in a pond'. The 1m (3ft) beast was spotted by Steve Jenkins.

Croc spotted in Swansea Ananova

Identification of the Swansea Crocodile? - Part 2

Taken yesterday while talking with Steve.

See this earlier post:
Important - Croc identified? Part I


A wet Day in Swansea at Pluck lake looking east



Looking towards the west end where croc was seen.



The dog whose walk caused Croc panic.



Steve throws a stone to show where croc was first sighted.


Steve points out where Croc moved towards white van roof.


Steve Jenkins


A photo taken from bank showing the white van roof which croc swam over. This was not taken from where Steve was standing which was about 4m away but was taken closer directly beside it and it shows how the van lid would outline something swimming over it on a calm day as on Sunday.

Comments on Story

Weeding out the nonsense there are some useful comments on this story from the Swansea Evening Post's original story.

just a few mounths ago there was a report of a otter in there so it was probelt the same one there
callum semmens 14, Neath

i am a little 15 year old boy i go fishing down the pluck i have never seen the crock and i am always down there so if it is there leave it alone please ffffffiiiisssshhh
liam robins, swansea

I think it could well have been a mink or an otter, both are around 1m long and have a swimming profile that could be mistaken for a crocodile from a distance
John, Swansea

It could be the pluck ness monster, in past summers you would be lucky to reel in a small tench from the pluck, normally it's just sprats like roach , rud and perch however I have seen some big things come out of the Pluck over ther years, namely cars and trollies however this monster would be a welcome catch on the worm...
Scooter, Winch Wen Swansea

I have worked with reptiles in two zoos (Twycross and Tropiquaria) and have a soecial intrest in crocodillians. I have also nvestigated several cases of 'caimans' being seen in the midlands and i Cornwall. Nothing was ever found. A crocodillian could live in the UK during a warm summer but wopuld swiftly die come winter. It is possable people are mistaking a large sturgeon. Having said that several species of crocodillian have been caught in the uk over the years including Nile crocodile and specticaled caiman
Richard Freeman, Devon

I worked at a large Reptile House for several years, and both calls and rescues involving crocodilians were fairly common. Unfortunately, when people get hold of these animals (usually illegally) as pets, they often get released into the wild when they become too much to look after, to avoid alerting the authorities. The best way to check would be to visit the lake at night, and with a torch held at eye level, scan the lake margins - if you see any pink or white eyeshine (like catseyes) then it is likely to be true!
Dr James Reed, Yeovil

Approximately 2 years whilst walking my dog along the cycle path by the new bridge, opposite Ford's Plasmarl, I Saw a man staring in disbelief in the water, and as I looked myself I saw a tail disappearing into the water. This looked very much like a crocodile tail, which I commented, did you see that, and the man said people would not believe us if we told them, and walked off. So this has not been the first time, as also my wife and myself on another occasion with the dog saw what looked like a log in the water, but it slowly went down, out of sight, and we felt quite spooked. We believe quite strongly there is a crocodile there, and this should be taken far more seriously by the authorities than it is at present. We also do not want our e mail address printed as we would leave ourselves wide open to prank calls jamming up our e mails, but print the letter by all means.
Concerned dog walker, Swansea

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake

Swansea Evening Post April 28th 2008

Welsh shock - What a croc! in today's The Sun

Welsh shock - What a croc! The Sun

Steve Jenkins ... croc spotter

FEROCIOUS crocodile is thought to be at large in a murky lake — in WALES.

Startled Steve Jenkins, 38, is convinced he spotted the 3ft-long beast as he walked his dog alongside the water.

'You sure it wasn't a dragon, boyo' ... locals tease

He told cops he saw the croc lurking in the shallows of the rubbish-strewn lake by a Morrisons store in Swansea — but couldn’t get a snap.

I did not say it could be 10 foot long!!! I said it could reach 7 feet and this one was 3 foot long.

BBC Radio on the Croc

BBC Radio Wales Richard Evans
Wens 30 April 2008 12.00

BBC - Wales - Radio Wales - Richard Evans

Interview with Steve Jenkins and me starts around 48 mins in. I sound ridiculous well I think so :)


You can download the file here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gamxd4yx5ir

Important - Croc identified? Part I

Steve Jenkins ... croc spotter

At around 7 pm I talked to Steve Jenkins at the Lake. What he told me further convinced me we are dealing with a member of the Crocodile family. I now know exactly where he stood and from where he saw the animal at that distance of roughly 3-4 m he could not have been mistaken especially as he is a fisherman and he noted the animals legs. The water was calm and the day was clear and fairly sunny.

From his description and what he thinks after showing him Croc photos it seems likely what he saw was a Spectacled Caiman . He described what seemed to be the characteristic bony ridge between its eyes. As that is a popular species for pets that makes sense. The main other possibility is perhaps an American alligator. I think he saw something like this:

From Hungry Hyaena website - "One of the adult spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) disturbed by my wading in pousada bahia (Pousada Ararauna, Pantanal, Brasil)"

You can see where he was roughly from the map above. The blue man was his first location and the green man is Steve's finally location as is the fish is the croc. The war level today is much higher than on the satellite photo.

I also talked to Jon Downes, the Director, at the CFZ. He feels that the chances of a Croc surviving for any length of time are bleak in April. CFZ has been on a number of UK croc hunts in the last few years. He also filled me in on further on the illegal trade in crocs and other exotics. Alligators are easy to buy in Florida and were easy to smuggle back in hand luggage. It is tougher since 9/11 but perhaps in South America where Caimans come from security is not so tight. There is certainly an underground trade in place inside the UK. Furthermore he told me about 3 crocodile bodies that have been found in British waterways and ponds in recent times.

The Sun, and Swansea Evening Post are doing more on this story today.

More updates to come keep watching this blog. Please come forward if you seen anything.

Daily Mail/Telegraph on the Swansea Crocodile

It also got into the Daily Mail:

Hunt launched after dog walker spots 3ft-long crocodile

But professor of natural history, Paul Brain, said it was possible for it to survive in the colder British climate.

He said: "The crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.

"There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it."

A spokesman for Swansea Police said: "We have visited the lake several times and not seen anything - but we are not ruling it out."

A few extra details there.

Meanwhile in the Daily Telegraph:

Crocodile spotted near Welsh supermarket Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom

Croc details

Just talked to the witness Steve Jenkins on BBC Radio. He saw the beast at around 11.30 on Sunday from a distance of 3-4 m.
He is a fisherman so not likely to confuse it with a fish.

So little chance of a mistaken identification. He saw it had 4 legs, long tail, dark colour.

Sounds like a croc of some type to me. More as it comes in. Will meet him later.

Western Mail on the Pluck Ness Monster

Long article in the Western Mail with more details of the sighting:

Does a Welsh Loch Ness monster lurk in city lake?

The creature is normally the preserve of warmer climes such as Africa, Asia and Australia, but fisherman Steve Jenkins is convinced he saw a specimen in Morfa Enterprise Zone’s Pluck Lake.

Mr Jenkins, who lives nearby, was on Sunday walking his dog around the lake, which is the size of four football pitches, when he saw what he first thought was a log in the water.

He said yesterday, “It was definitely a crocodile. There was a white van submerged in the water and it swam over the top of it so I had a good look. It was a metre long and had a long tail.

“I’ve been ribbed mercilessly since I reported it to the police – people whistle the tune of Crocodile Shoes when they see me. But I don’t care what people think, I know what I saw.”

It looks like there is defiantly something there. I will be talking to Steve later today so I will have more info very soon.

Article also feature Beastwatch another well known organisation involved in British Croc hunts mentioned earlier. But why does it claim this is Welsh equivalent to Loch Ness have they forgotten about Teggy of Bala Lake? And of course whatever is in Langorse lake. I was trying to avoid it being called after Nessie but it have failed it looks like it is the Pluck Ness Monster. Morfadil sounds better.

It also go into the Daily Mail:

Hunt launched after dog walker spots 3ft-long crocodile

But professor of natural history, Paul Brain, said it was possible for it to survive in the colder British climate.

He said: "The crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.

"There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it."

A spokesman for Swansea Police said: "We have visited the lake several times and not seen anything - but we are not ruling it out."

A few extra details there.

Evening Post reports on Expedition

I appealed to the Swansea Evening Post for help. It got a little bit distorted in the telling I am not really a "Crocodile Expert" though I have been advised by one Richard Freeman.

Crocodile expert investigates sighting
South Wales Evening Post,

The main thing is we should get some more reports in I hope. Then we can work out what it is.



Its raining in Swansea temp around 7 degrees the prospects for a Caiman being about are limited. Caiman's are mostly noctural especially Dwarf Caimans.

Is it going to move enough at night when it is this cold is it worth while doing a nocturnal hunt today ? Of course if it is a fish then it might be pointless looking at night as i will be difficult to spot anything.

The expedition

A party of two intrepid monster hunters set out. Here are the photos from the expedition:

We were at Pluck lake for around one half hours from around 5.15 till close to seven on Monday evening. Had a good look round wandering round the lake, there was plenty of light and i was fairly warm for April. The lake is approx 155m east to west, 80 m north to south.


[Pluck Pond from satellite this shows the pond with much lower water level than it has at the moment. The water reaches up to the undergrowth on the eastern shore now. It seems close to the size to other water areas such as Roman lake, Staffordshire which have reported crocs.]

No unknown or large animals were sighted but there was some bird life with a goose and some moorhens/coots. There were two of us and we had binoculars so we could keep a reasonably good eye on the lake throughout our visit. Most of the lake/pond is open water but the eastern end has watery reed beds which merge into bushes and trees. In the north-east corner rivulets and gullies connect to the main water. Heavy undergrowth and mud make it an ideal place for an amphibious animal to hide.


I could not get into that area without making quite a bit of noise which might have alerted it. If there was a caiman it could take cover in that area easily I guess. I had discovered that the Spectacled caiman [which grows up to seven feet] is a very adaptable species found in all lowland wetland and riverine habitat within its range in South and North America. It can be found most often in the still water areas of these habitats. This caiman has the widest distribution of any species in the Alligatorinae family. If environmental conditions become too hot, the Spectacled Caiman will burrow into mud and estivate (estivate is to summer what hibernate is to winter). Thus it could have gone into hiding in this area possibly using them same techniques. The Dwarf Caiman was even more prone to hiding and burrowing and is a very nocturnal and it was another popular pet.

" The dwarf caiman’s hefty, bonier scales shield its internal organs from swift waters, rocky river bottoms and such predators as anacondas and jaguars. It has an unusually short, smooth, pointy skull with an upturned snout, a useful adaptation for burrowing into a riverbank or bottom during the day."

On the other hand the goose was also lurking in the reed beds but I suppose it might not have detected the Caiman. If there is a caiman I believe it has dug itself down for warmth and may die soon unless there is a sudden heat wave (in Wales this is unlikely). It simply won't have enough energy to hunt till thee is. It will depend on how much food it has had recently how long it could survive.

One thing which can be ruled out is that I saw no floating logs or anything else likely to confuse someone watching. Two other monster hunters arrived while we were there but they also found nothing and left after a while. Local lads they had been down the pond many times when kids and said it was smaller than it used to be. I had guessed as much that from a stoney area which looked like former lake bed on the south side. They also said the pond was supposed to cover old mine workings so the centre was very deep indeed. That was interesting info.

What adds to the questions on the lake is that someone on the Swansea Evening Post website had stated:

Approximately 2 years whilst walking my dog along the cycle path by the new bridge, opposite Ford's Plasmarl, I Saw a man staring in disbelief in the water, and as I looked myself I saw a tail disappearing into the water. This looked very much like a crocodile tail, which I commented, did you see that, and the man said people would not believe us if we told them, and walked off. So this has not been the first time, as also my wife and myself on another occasion with the dog saw what looked like a log in the water, but it slowly went down, out of sight, and we felt quite spooked. We believe quite strongly there is a crocodile there, and this should be taken far more seriously by the authorities than it is at present. We also do not want our e mail address printed as we would leave ourselves wide open to prank calls jamming up our e mails, but print the letter by all means.
Concerned dog walker, Swansea

The mystery deepens as there is no way a Croc could survive two years in Wales in our cold climate. As I saw no tracks or other traces round the pond so perhaps a large fish seems a likely explanation of what someone saw unless it was an illusion.

Anyway what I have nicknamed the Morfadile remains a mystery. More info from the public is needed hence this blog so if you are in Swansea and you have seen something let us know.

Crocs in Britain? Or something else...

The idea of an escaped crocodile of some variety might seem bizarre but I already knew the CFZ had been called out before on exactly these kind of hunts. Increasing numbers of people were dumping crocs in rivers and lakes and keeping them illegally at home. The RSPCA society rescued more than 40 alligators and crocodiles between 2000-5.

A major CFZ expedition was to Roman Lake near that central point of weirdness Cannock Chase in 2003 where:

John Mizzen, his Daughter Linda Charteris and his three young granddaughters encountered something which was large and alive. John had taken his family to the waters edge to feed a pair of Swans and their Cygnets. Following a substantial underwater commotion a head appeared on the surface. It scared the three children and unnerved Linda. John could only describe it in one way. Alligator. Both John and Linda thought it was after the Cygnets. Distracted by the frightened children Linda only saw it for a few seconds, but was insistent it was large dark coloured flat head, moving silently through the water. John had a longer look, and estimated that the body was five feet long and the tail two feet.

Roman Lake in Staffordshire Photo from Beastwatch's report on the incident.

Accounts of that hunt provided useful background:

As I’ve said it is not unknown for Crocodilians to be in this country (completely illegal, in contravention of the 1976 Dangerous Animals act, and sometimes, laws against exploiting endangered species).

Because of its relatively small size, African Dwarf Crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetraspis) have become popular the world over as novelty pets. An endangered species, from West and tropical Africa they grow to a maximum of about five feet. Ten of these were confiscated, very recently, by customs Officers at Heathrow airport. They were smuggled, on a flight from Nigeria, stuffed into sacks in the aircrafts hold. All ten animals survived.

Above Dwarf Caiman

The Speckled Caiman (Caiman Crocodilius) originates from South America and grows up to seven feet in length. In September 2002 Police and the RSPCA retrieved two such animals from a squalid Oldham council flat. Another story, sounding like the introduction to a joke, but true, is of a fellow who bought a “Lizard” in a sack, from a man in an Essex pub. The moron paid £20 and staggered home. Once sober he discovered he was the owner of a Speckled Caiman.

Below Spectacled Caiman
Caiman crocodilus

A five foot long American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), was found a few years ago in a spare bedroom in Chesterfield. The unfortunate animal had been kept in pond liner for years. After being rescued it was sent to a Norfolk Wildlife Park. The American Alligator is by far the largest of the Crocodilians I have mentioned here, the largest males grow up to about fifteen feet, and if tales spun by everglades moon shiners are to be believed, up to twenty feet, (although I’m not suggesting for one moment anything close to that size is at large in Roman View Lake).

from Crocodile Hunting in The Midlands by Mark P. Martin

Then in 2005 one was seen in a pond in Cornwall :

Stacey Clayton spotted the 2ft (61cm) caiman on Saturday at St Andrew's pond in St Blazey.

The animal has not been found, but the RSPCA believes it could be hiding in nearby marshland and has warned local people to be careful in the area.

A reptile expert from Newquay Zoo believes the caiman could be an unwanted pet which has been dumped.

It's certainly not going to attack or chase a human being, but if you tried to get hold of it, it could bite you John Meek, Newquay Zoo

Ms Clayton said: "I noticed this big log bopping up and down in the water, but as I got closer to it, it blinked and I could see its eyes.

"I wasn't sure whether it was alive or not so I threw a small stone near it and as it moved I could see it was a caiman - about 2ft long - so I dashed home and called the RSPCA."..

The RSPCA said the incident highlighted the growing problem of people keeping exotic animals with little or no knowledge of the specialist care and attention they require. The society has rescued more than 40 alligators and crocodiles since 2000.

Cornwall | Snapper warning issued to village BBC - 5 October 2005,

The CFZ also looked for it as this report shows Monster Hunters Snappy Visit. None of these hunts turned up anything solid. This may be because the crocs had already died from the cold conditions. If there was such a reptile in the pond it needed immediate rescue as April in Wales would kill it soon.

But it also seems possible these sightings may be a case of mistaken identity as it could be a large fish is to blame for the Crocodile sightings. Here there were various candidates such as Sturgeon which Richard had mentioned to me on the phone.

There is a particular fish, which is absolutely enormous, the Sturgeon, which can look like a Crocodile, especially from the top.” I based my comments on the original witnesses report to the local Police and RSPCA; they were five members of a local family.I do not think my statement that the Cygnet Cruncher possibly being a Sturgeon too unreasonable. We even have a precedent from Loch Ness Monster lore. Naturalist and Loch Ness ecology expert, Adrian Shine believes that misidentified Sturgeon could be Nessie herself, the Queen of all Monsters. He thinks they enter the Loch via the river Ness in search of mates. He supports his argument with a case from 1932. Miss K Macdonald saw an 8 foot long creature splashing up the river Ness. The description was remarkably similar to a Crocodile. Shine thinks that this “Crocodile” was in fact, a Sturgeon.

This fish could be huge no wonder it was a good candidate for Nessie. "In 1987 a Sturgeon, eleven feet (3.35 m) long and weighing 900 lbs (408 kg) was found dead, floating in Lake Washington near Seattle, U.S.A., where stories of a 'Monster' had circulated (Albuquerque Journal, 7th November 1987)."

The fish shown above was washed up in Lake Washington and was 3.5m (11 feet) long.

For more see: Research Loch Ness - Adrian Shine - Sturgeon or Surgeon. With its bony ridge it also could look a croc from a distance. "Against the sturgeon is that the European sturgeon is not known to spend long periods in fresh water and the regular return of a giant sturgeon to Loch Ness would seem unlikely. The lake sturgeon is a different species and not found in the UK. Perhaps European sturgeon could adapt to fresh water, but that is not known." Another giant sturgeon can be seen here:

But there are other aquatic monsters in British lakes:

Some thing struck a chord, in John and Linda’s account; it was the statement that the beast was after the Cygnets. This stirred a memory. Later in the day, after several local people told of large Pike (Esox lucius) in the lake, it came back. A couple or three decade ago, my Farther a keen and vastly experienced Angler, enthralled me with tales of this mighty predator. He told me that Pike pluck Wildfowl from the surface. Could a Pike be mistaken for a Crocodilian? I searched the triple double-u for Pike images, and was quite stunned by the remarkable similarity between a Pike and Crocs head. The eyes are on top; even the jaw line matches the sinister “Crocodile Smile”. But John said the animal was seven feet long, even allowing for a little adrenaline fuelled exaggeration, this would be a truly enormous specimen of E. lucius.

The largest officially recognised example weighed in at 67lb, (I can’t find any mention of its length, but according to the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain, it would have been about five feet long). There are many claims of even bigger fish. Ireland, with its many ancient and largely undisturbed Loughs is home to numerous mammoth Pike legends. Claims of up to 90lbs have been made. There is one story from the Connamara region, in the North West of the country. It tells of a scuba diver who was terrified by a Pike, over six feet long.

Yet you don't need to go to Ireland for giant Pike. A previous CFZ expedition had located what appeared to be a monster pike in Langorse lake in Breconshire as this video shows:

It was time to get more background on the lake.

The Mystery Begins - Hunting strange beasts in Morfa

Browsing the web I discovered in mid afternoon that a strange cryptid has been sighted in East Swansea in the Morfa area in Pluck Lake. I was a strange coincidence I had been thinking about other Welsh cryptids at the time. The report read:

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake

Swansea Evening Post April 28th 2008

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake!Police and RSPCA officers were at Pluck Lake opposite Morrisons in Morfa yesterday after receiving a report of a crocodile there.The caller, who raised the alert at around noon, was certain the creature was a crocodile and said it was about one metre long. A police spokesman said: "If it is a crocodile, it is a freshwater one and it is only the saltwater ones that are a threat, the big massive ones."We went down and had a look. It is cold, and if it was a genuine call it could be an escaped pet - it's not beyond the bounds of imagination."He said experts had told them that if a crocodile or alligator was out in the current temperatures, it could be lurking under the water.He added: "It's best not to go swimming."

I am a member of The Centre for Fortean Zoology the only professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to Fortean-Zoology; a portmanteau discipline which includes cryptozoology -- the study of unknown animals and also looks into reports of and out of place animals.

I decided rapid action was needed as it was close to where I lived in Swansea and started planning a Croc hunting expedition. I gathered equipment various cameras, food, and binoculars. I then contact CFZ HQ for advice. Richard Freeman, is the CFZ's resident zoologist, veteran of many expeditions including hunts for the Mongolian deathworm, in The Gambia he looked for a dragon like beast known as ninki-nanka,, and to Guyana in 2007 searching for giant anaconda, di-di (a yeti like homonid), and the water tiger (a spotted semi-aquatic, flesh eating mammal). The CFZ is a non profit-making organisation, which was founded in 1992. Further information on the CFZ can be found on their website, www.cfz.org.uk. He is a man who has handled plenty of crocs in his time. He tells me to take a look around and report back and said if a croc is located he is ready to come over from Devon to capture it if needed. If the authorities allow it could make an excellent addition for the CFZ's MENAGERIE which is currently being constructed and will be alongside the Museum.

But what exactly am I looking for? Could it be that a crocodile, perhaps the ancient inspiration for the Draig Goch, the emblem of Wales was on the loose. I needed some background.

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