Police snap into action after 'croc' sighting

Thames Valley Police South Buckinghamshire/ Facebook

Police called to reports of a crocodile seen in flood water near an English village have escaped unharmed after discovering locals were fooled by a replica.

Officers from the South Buckinghamshire team at Thames Valley Police investigated a potentially snappy situation after reports of a crocodile lurking in floodwaters had tongues wagging.

But rather than having to battle a fierce reptilian foe, they found it was actually a replica, or decoy crocodile's head, available online and described in some reports as a toy.

The force took it in good heart, posting on Facebook: "Crikey! It's not every day that you get sent to reports of a crocodile in flood water near Cholesbury.

"Do not be alarmed, the croc is now with us at the police station.

"Did you know that it is not that difficult to tell alligators and crocodiles apart? One will see you later whereas the other will see you in a while. #BadDadJokes."

More from Quirky

  • Giant schnauzer Monty takes best in show

    Monty the giant schnauzer won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, finally taking the top prize after reaching the final round for the third consecutive year in the most prestigious dog show in the United States.

  • Australian lawmaker changes name to 'Aussie Trump'

    An Australian state lawmaker has changed his name to "Aussie Trump", in what he said was a protest against the country's ruling centre-left Labor Party.

  • Google Maps to rename 'Gulf of Mexico' for US users

    Google Maps will change the name of 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' once it is officially updated in the US Geographic Names System, Google said in an X post.

  • T. Rex is at center of debate over dinosaur intelligence

    Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.

  • Horses run amok in central London

    A number of horses are running amok in London and at least one person has been injured, with the army called in to help locate the animals, authorities in the British capital said on Wednesday.