'Awesome' swimming pool intruder stuns Aussie family: ‘Look what’s moved in’

An Aussie family affected by the recent wild weather in Far North Queensland got the surprise of their life after returning home to discover an unexpected visitor had taken residence in their swimming pool - a crocodile.

The dad, who was assessing damage to the fencing around his home following Cyclone Jasper, when he inadvertently filmed the moment his kids — who were swimming in the pool at the time — made the discovery.

While many Aussies are in awe at the remarkable footage, one wildlife rescuer has expressed caution. “I can tell you from experience that even a crocodile at that size can shred a finger,” WIRES volunteer Gary Pattinson told Yahoo News Australia. “That's a really young one but they’ve still got an extremely quick and powerful bite.”

Dad’s discovery in pool

When the man's son first tells him of the discovery, he initially reacts in disbelief. “There’s a croc in the pool,” a boy can be overheard saying in the footage to which the dad responds “bulls**t.”

As the boy leads his dad to the reptile, another child jumps into the pool without a single worry about the hidden danger lurking below. “It’s a toy,” the dad says, before adding “holy f**k” when he spots the apex predator.

“Be croc wise after the floods,” the dad captioned the video which he shared to Instagram. “1st day home to fix the fences and look what’s moved in.” While the croc appears to be a juvenile, the family remain remarkably calm throughout the short video and even seemingly take matters into their own hands by setting the croc free.

Despite the footage, handling crocs is something WIRES volunteer Gary advises against, telling Yahoo: “The advice from my perspective, would be to get somebody who's knowledgeable about crocodiles to come in."

He added that following the wild weather in Queensland, it’s unlikely to be an isolated event. “It wouldn't surprise me if this is one amongst many, many incidences of crocs being displaced,” he said.

• Holidaymakers warned of snakes and crocodiles hiding in 'unexpected places' after Cyclone Jasper

• Fisherman 'almost eaten' during scary late-night encounter

• Aussie neighbours confused by 'intriguing' creature in front yard

Aussies in awe of the discovery

Many Aussies have praised the dad in the video while others have expressed their horror. “You'll have to move out and give up your house the croc has now taken over,” joked one Aussie.

“That is bloody awesome,” said another, adding: “kind of jealous sh*t like this doesn't happen to me.” “Fantastic,” added a third. “I love animals so much. And to do these things with the kids too. So good to see.”

Department of Environment's warning

Department of Environment and Science Northern Wildlife Operations Director Lindsay Delzoppo previously made a warning about crocs turning up in unexpected places following the floods.

“During flooding crocodiles may turn up in places they haven’t been seen before as they move about in search of calmer waters,” Mr Delzoppo said.

“We expect crocodiles in the cyclone-affected area to be on the move as they search for a quieter place to wait until the floodwaters to recede. Several years ago, a large crocodile found refuge on someone’s backyard during a flood event, but it quickly moved on when the floodwater receded.”

Crocodiles can be reported on the DES website or by calling 1300 130 372

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