Crocodile spends day at Mexican Beach

Coronas, cabanas and ... crocodiles? That was the scene that greeted beachgoers at one of Mexico’s premier coastal resorts.

Officials in Puerto Vallarta say a 2.5-metre crocodile roamed for almost a day on one of its beaches before being captured, after being pushed out of its natural habitat by heavy rains and strong river currents.

Rumours had swirled of three of the beasts stalking the city, but those proved unfounded, the newspaper Reforma said. Though frightening for visitors and residents, animal control experts patiently waited for the ideal moment to catch the wayward reptile.

“The animal was tired,” said Armando Rubio of the Animal Control Center.

“It was moving around but it doesn’t like sea water; the currents tire it out.”

According to the Mexico News Daily, a dead crocodile was found earlier this month hanging from a tree with a message threatening to kill more crocodiles if more wasn’t done to control them.

But Rubio said there have been just 20 reported cases of crocodiles attacking people since 2006, with three fatalities.

“That figure is really low if we compare it with scorpion stings, of which there are 60,000 cases,” he said.

“People are really demonizing (crocodiles).”

The captured croc was to be tagged and then released to its upriver territory.