Surprise Visitor: Crocodile Found in Michigan Yard

If alligators are non-native to Michigan, then a crocodile certainly isn’t, but that didn't stop police from finding one sunbathing in a front yard.

I have done a lot of fishing and hunting in Michigan; you would think if there were alligators or crocodiles, I would have run into one by now (glad I didn't). Unfortunately, these reptiles get here because people illegally buy them as exotic pets, often as babies, and then release them when they grow too large or become inconvenient to care for.

Alligators and Crocodiles Found in Michigan?

Every year, Michiganders hear about an alligator or two being spotted in or near a Michigan lake. Most of the time, it turns out to be someone's pet and gets returned to its owner. At other times, the alligator is not found or is a pet that was released because it had grown too large to handle.

In March of 2025, an alligator was found in a Northern Michigan Hotel. In November of 2024, Michigan State Police found an alligator in Ecorse while executing a search warrant for a suspected drug dealer's home. In October of 2024, an alligator was found under a woman's car in Sterling Heights. In August of 2024, there were reports of a 6-foot-long alligator spotted in an Ottawa County lake. The first 3 were pets that people turned loose, but the one in Ottawa County was never found.

Read More: Is an Alligator on the Loose in Ottawa County?

Today was the first time I had ever heard of a crocodile being found in Michigan.

Crocodile Found Lounging In Michigan Yard

According to the Hampton Township Public Safety Department, Michigan Facebook page, police were called around 3:30 p.m. to investigate a report of what appeared to be an alligator lying in a front yard.

When officers arrived, what was thought to be an alligator turned out to be a 3-foot South American Crocodile chilling under a crab apple tree. The reptile was captured and taken to the Birch Run Zoo.

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Officers still do not know where the crocodile came from or how it got released in the area.

👇BELOW: Michigan Pets' Names and Mom Nicknames👇