Eight hundred to one-thousand wild American crocodiles live in the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula; occasionally, one or more of these reptiles visit Lake Osceola.  The University of Miami Police Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and other University officials have been closely monitoring the on-campus crocodile situation over the past few years.  Attempts have been made on several occasions, some successful, to capture and relocate individual crocodiles to more suitable off-campus habitats.  In addition, crocodile barriers have been erected in several locations to impede the reptiles from entering waterways on campus, though these barriers have been circumvented on occasion.  The real issue is that South Florida is a natural habitat for crocodiles. As the crocodile population continues to recover from the brink of extinction and humans continue to encroach on natural crocodile habitat, there will be more instances of human-crocodile interaction.  Crocodiles are very mobile in South Florida waterways.  As a result, the number in Lake Osceola is constantly changing.  The good news is that if you show them respect and keep your distance, there is no need to worry.  American crocodiles are rather shy.  So long as the University Community respects the crocodiles’ space and doesn’t attempt to feed or harass them, there should be no problems.  There is no record of the American crocodile attacking a human in Florida.  Crocodiles are a federally protected species, and feeding, harassing, or otherwise harming them is a crime.  If you see a crocodile on campus, keep your distance and contact UM Police at 305-284-6666.  Further information on the American Crocodile is available at www.myfwc.com.

Click here to view the FWC's American Crocodile Website.

Click here to watch a UMTV news video on the Crocodiles.

Photo Credit: Paul Moler, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.