A POLICE appeal to find a crocodile dumped in a canal caused a storm on social media – and the mystery was soon solved.
The Derbyshire Rural Crime Team first posted on Facebook: “We know this is probably the strangest appeal ever to grace our Facebook page; however, we are appealing for your help in relation to a suspected crocodile that was reported dumped in South Derbyshire. Yes, you read that correctly… a crocodile!
“It was allegedly sighted between bridge 22 and 22a on the Trent and Mersey Canal, nearby to Mercia Marina, Willington. The report was sent to the Canal and River Trust; however, on their arrival, the crocodile was no longer present. We’re going to go out on a limb and guess this little guy isn’t native to Derbyshire.
“For clarification, although we cannot claim to be medical professionals, we are acutely aware that the crocodile is deceased.”
Soon, The Derbyshire Crocodile Mystery was solved. The police posted: “A member of public has come forward and explained that the crocodile was a stuffed taxidermy one, filled with hay, which inadvertently caught while fishing. While it gave us all a bit of a surprise, it turns out this one was more fluff than fear!
“We are incredibly grateful for the public’s support, the shares, and the good humour throughout… it’s not every day we get to say we’ve dealt with a crocodile in Derbyshire!”
