Baby croc found in public swimming pool

Swimming is supposed to be a relaxing activity, but some bathers came close to receiving the shock of their lives recently, as a baby crocodile was found in the waters of a public pool.

The reptile was discovered in the Parap swimming pool in Darwin, Australia, when lifeguards pulled back the covers and were setting up for the day.

It's thought that pranksters somehow managed to catch the creature and place it in the water – perhaps with the hope that it would go unnoticed until swimmers arrived.

Northern Territory parks and wildlife ranger Tommy Nichols explained it's not the first time this sort of thing has happened, as two other crocs have been found in similar circumstances in the past.

"They didn't get there by themselves … It's just a stupid thing to do," he said.

The size of this little one means it wouldn't have hurt anyone, but Mr Nichols warned an incident with a larger creature could have "ended badly".

Earlier this year, Australian visitor Katrina Bridgeford managed to take an impressive snap of a 5.5 metre saltwater crocodile as it leapt out of a river – and you certainly wouldn't want to go swimming beside that beast!

Posted by Mark Wilkins