Zookeepers at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida said that on February 22 a large crocodile from the zoo broke the back window out of a van and escaped onto the streets.
Wild footage of the incident was taken by Jessica Stark, who was on the scene, showing zookeepers scrambling to wrangle the powerful reptile on a grassy median within the park.
The zookeepers were said to have been trying to move a few crocs to a different area of the zoo when the incident took place. The moment the croc broke free, zookeepers Karsyn and Gen pounced on the animal as it tried to flee.
One of them tried to restrain it while the other one struggled to hold it back with a rope pole. The park released an official statement on the incident on social media to explain what happened.
“THIS is why we have extensive training and do drills, to prepare for moments like this. Earlier today, we were relocating crocodilians to another area of the Zoo. They were secured and placed into our Zoo Van. This animal broke the back window of the van and made a dash down the road. Our crew acted quickly to recapture it, and deliver it safely to it’s new habitat. At no time was there any real danger as the animal’s mouth was secured. And impressive “GIRL POWER”! Karsyn (Reptile Keeper) and Gen (General Curator) recaptured it, with help from Ryan and Donald from Maintenance. Thank you to Jessica Stark for this awesome video!”
Watch The Crocodile Escape Video Below
There are over 800 crocodiles on the property and St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is the only zoo in the world where visitors can see all 24 species of crocodilians.