"I have a feeling we're going to see this one again,'' Hord told the Times then. Wildlife officials say it's unusual for the the animal to have strayed so far north. There two commercial fishermen accidentally caught him in their gillnet and called the Florida Fresh Water Fish and Game Commission. Published Aug. 5, 2013. It just looked evil," Vekasi told the Tampa Bay Times. There two commercial fishermen accidentally caught him in their gillnet and called the Florida Fresh Water Fish and Game Commission. Sign in Sign up for FREE Prices and download plans How do they know this was the same crocodile? Wildlife officials say it's unusual for the the animal to have strayed so far north. 11-Foot Crocodile Found in Lake Tarpon An 11-foot crocodile found in Lake Tarpon is being released back into the wild. No one who saw the critter confused it with its more common cousin. Country club residents were not happy. They demanded the big lizard be evicted, so the state dispatched a trapper who caught it. Sunde Farquhar , Patch Staff But not this particularly single-minded crocodile. That time, state wildlife officials left it alone. Welcome to the Lake Tarpon Information Center . Gary Morse, a fish and wildlife spokesman, said they've been aware of the crocodile in Lake Tarpon for about a year. I've heard of crocs making it this far north. Because biologists mark the newborn crocs around Turkey Point by clipping the scutes — the armored tiles — on the tail, leaving a distinctive pattern to help identify them later, according to Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In 1957 he traveled 300 miles from the Florida Keys to Lake Tarpon in Central Florida, farther north than any other American Salt water crocodile on record. Trapping the 700-pound beast in the lake took about four hours. "To have an American Crocodile this far north in the state is very unusual. Clearwater, FL 33760, Walgreens - 3770 Tampa Road Oldsmar, FL 34677, Walgreens - 7400 66th St., Pinellas Park Tampa, 33781. It wasn't a full-time resident there, either. Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. Today, they are classified as a threatened species. The state sent a trapper to catch it. On Friday, a Plantation woman who was walking her dogs was killed when she was dragged into a lake by an alligator.. The water in Lake Tarpon is also very murky, and it has been said by researchers that the Burmese Pythons in The Everglades would eventually genetically adapt and spread north. Lake Tarpon can be visited at Anderson Park, Chesnut … "Occasionally animals will wander out of their traditional territory," he said, noting that a manatee once wound up in Massachusetts. She'd heard rumors of a crocodile living in the freshwater lake in Tarpon Springs. Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 14 years. A photograph of a purported 28-foot alligator first hit the Internet in August 2005, described as a an alligator (of unspecified size) killed in Bay City, Texas. Its watershed encompasses 52 square miles (130 km 2) including the two largest tributaries, South Creek and Brooker Creek. It just looked evil," one Lake Tarpon area resident, Wanda Vekasi, told the Times last month. "Man, after seeing that thing and how big it was," she said, "I'm just not afraid of gators anymore. TARPON SPRINGS, Florida (AP) - When Wanda Vekasi saw a long object floating in Lake Tarpon on Monday evening, she knew it wasn't an alligator. It is listed in the Bassmaster's 100 best bass lakes of 2013. With 16 miles of shoreline, this lake has an average depth of 8 feet, with a maximum depth of 14 feet. At that point, it measured 8-feet-4 1/4 inches long. After all, it has been a “fish camp” since the mid-1950’s. An 11' American Crocodile was removed from Lake Tarpon late Monday night. As for whether the Lake Tarpon croc will go wandering again, Morse said, it's hard for humans to peer into a crocodile's mind. Lake Tarpo is a 2,534 acre freshwater lake that was dammed in 1968. He had big spikes sticking out of his tail. This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area. Vekasi, who enjoys life on the lake, said the crocodile capture has given her some peace of mind. They think it might have roamed up to the Manatee River just south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Most of the crocs live in the Crocodile Lake National Refuge in Key Largo or around Turkey Point, a 6,000-acre facility that contains 150 miles of canals full of warm water adjacent to Biscayne Bay. It took Mike Amyx and his crew more than four hours but they finally pulled the 700-pound, 11-foot-long American crocodile from the water. We are a full service restaurant with a historical “fish camp” theme, located directly on the beautiful and historic St. Johns river. By Craig Pittman. This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area. She'd heard rumors of a crocodile … After all, he said, "Croc minds are not particularly large. Then state officials trucked the critter they're now calling "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" all the way back to the area south of Homestead, back to where its journey began nine years ago, and released it there July 29. The crocodile is on the federal endangered list and officials say there are only about 2,000 in Florida. In 2008, the croc - now dubbed "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" - was spotted on the golf course at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Morse said. Lake Tarpon is an easy commute from many Florida metropolitan areas, and real estate is always available. "Wildlife tends to move around a lot," he said. With a little sleuthing, lakefront or lake view property can be found along Lake Tarpon's shores. Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 14 years. A photograph of a purported 28-foot alligator first hit the Internet in August 2005, described as a an alligator (of unspecified size) killed in Bay City, Texas. Trappers remove a huge 11 foot crocodile from Florida's Lake Tarpon. Croc found in Lake Tarpon traveled 350 miles from South Florida home. Gary Morse, a fish and wildlife spokesman, said they've been aware of the crocodile in Lake Tarpon for about a year. Other Florida crocodiles have strayed from the Turkey Point area — winding up in Miami swimming pools or laying eggs on a lawn in Key West. Craig Pittman can be reached at craig@tampabay.com, Environment, Growth and Development Reporter, Dontae Morris defense asks judge to toss video of police killings. Clearwater Beach, FL 33767, Walgreens - 2991 Roosevelt Blvd. I've had photos sent to me of snook and tarpon caught in Lake Okeechobee. The state's top croc expert, Lindsey Hord, checked its gender (male) and took down its vital signs. TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - When Wanda Vekasi saw a long object floating in Lake Tarpon on Monday evening, she knew it wasn't an alligator. The 11-foot American Crocodile, which is on the Federal Endangered Species list, had been living in the lake and evading capture for more than a year. The Tampa Bay Times reported that for a time the croc resided in the gated community of St. Petersburg’s Caya Costa and then disappeared, eventually finding a home in Lake Tarpon. "You move them, they want to come back.''. The crocodile was recently found at Lake Tarpon, 10 miles west of Tampa, and wildlife officials say he traveled all the way from the Turkey Point nuclear plant in … It has been wandering for quite a while. Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say they haven't captured a crocodile this far north. The American crocodile is an endangered species success story. Since 1975 their numbers have increased from less than 300 to more than 1,500 adults. Jake the Crocodile was a wanderer. In 2008, the croc - now dubbed "the Lake Tarpon Crocodile" - was spotted on the golf course at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Morse said. I guess no one knows what is lurking in the filthy looking water of Lake Tarpon. They are found in South Florida, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. They are found in South Florida, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. It showed up briefly last fall on a lawn in St. Petersburg's Caya Costa, a gated community that borders Tampa Bay, then disappeared again. The 11-foot-long American crocodile captured last month at Lake Tarpon is one roaming reptile. 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