Abandoned Nile crocodile found wandering around Californian open-air shopping mall

A 4-foot crocodile was abandoned outside a reptile business in Roseville, California, on Wednesday morning, and somehow managed to escape its container, wandering around a strip mall. It's not clear who left the animal at the shopping center. People spotted the crocodile wandering around the TJ Maxx Plaza on Douglas Boulevard, and called for help.

"It was most likely a crocodile that was illegally brought into the country or illegally captured elsewhere in the county," said Sgt. Jason Bosworth, with the Roseville Police Department. California Fish and Wildlife officials said the crocodile is very dangerous. "This one is a really nasty crocodile," said Patrick Foy, a game warden. "It's got a really bad attitude. This animal genuinely is a very dangerous animal.

"Leaving it in a parking lot absolutely (puts) the public at risk, especially kids who might think that they can go and touch (it) - people who just don’t know how dangerous these crocodiles really are." Whoever left the animal also included a note reading "call rescue," and identified the reptile as a Nile crocodile. The reptile store in the area is a safe surrender site for animals whose owners can no longer care for them.

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An animal control officer lassoed the reptile in the parking lot. The crocodile wasn't happy about returning to a cage, police said. The crocodile was then turned over to California State Fish and Wildlife. Foy said the department believes the animal is indeed a rare Nile crocodile. "It can grow to 15-, 16-, 20-foot type range," Foy said. "They can be enormous." Owning a crocodile is illegal. Fish and Wildlife officials said the animal will most likely end up in a zoo.