Mexican workers pulled a 10-foot crocodile from a city sewage system. Pic credit: Pixabay
Maintenance workers in Mexico investigating blockage of a section of the sewage system in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, were astonished to discover that a 10-foot crocodile was the culprit.
City officials were trying to resolve a blockage when they stumbled on a 440-pound reptilian monster in underground pipes.
Creature thrashed underground
A team of technicians investigating a blockage was attempting to resolve the issue by flushing the pipes when they heard a thrashing commotion from deep underground, the Daily Star reported.
Believing they had located sludge blocking the pipes, they proceeded with attempts to dislodge it. However, after several unsuccessful attempts, a team went down to investigate and encountered a gargantuan reptile thrashing after getting stuck.
Workers called wildlife removal experts
The workers sought the assistance of wildlife removal experts.
After hours of gruelling and risky work, the experts pulled out a crocodile measuring 10 feet and weighing about 440 pounds from the Guadalupe Victoria aqueduct.
Local authorities confirmed they rescued the monster alive and returned it to its natural habitat. They guessed it strayed into pipes through open sewers, probably while hunting for food, and got stuck.
No one knew how long it had been living underground. However, the city authorities said it reduced sewage flow by 70% after entering and blocking a pipe.
The Sewer Alligator legend
It was not the first time that workers have reportedly found a reptile in the city sewers. Fanciful stories about sewer alligators or crocodiles have been part of the urban legends for decades. Urban legends describe sewer reptiles as oversized monsters or mutants.
New York City observes February 9 as Alligators in the Sewers Day in recognition of the cultural significance of the legend.
However, city officials have denied exaggerated claims about alligators growing to supersize while living on the supposedly rich nutrient substrate in the sewers.
According to experts, city sewer systems are not favorable habitats for reptiles such as alligators, crocodiles, anacondas, or pythons.
It explains why the discovery of a reptile in a city sewage system is a rare event.
Alligator in New York City sewer
Although reptiles in city sewers are rare, there have been a few notable incidents in recent history.
Folklorists trace New York City’s sewer alligator legend to a story published in the New York Times in February 1935 about 16-year-old Salvatore Condulucci and his friends who dragged an 8-foot alligator from a storm drain in East Harlem.
Reports of sewer alligator encounters have also come from Florida, Pittsburg, and Paris.