Crocodile found near family's home — 1,200 miles from its habitat

World Crocodile found by boy lurking in a creek near family's home, 1,200 miles from its tropical habitat Updated on: March 3, 2026 / 6:56 AM EST / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google Stephanie Kirsop didn't believe her son when he phoned to say a crocodile was lurking in a creek near their home. The family live in the temperate coastal city of Newcastle, which is 1,200 miles south of Australia's crocodile habitat in the tropical north. Lionel Saunders, 12, and his friends had spotted the juvenile meter-long croc early Saturday afternoon. Authorities were initially skeptical of the reported find but had caught the elusive reptile by Sunday night. "My son took videos because he was trying to convince me it was real and I didn't believe him. It did look like a crocodile but I was like, no it's a log," Kirsop said Tuesday. "He rang me back a little bit later and he's like: 'I'm so serious mom. You have to come down here and have a look,'" Kirsop said. "The whole drive down there I'm thinking this is going to be a trick. They're going to laugh at me." She was in no doubt it was a crocodile when she arrived. "There is a little crocodile just swimming around in the creek where local kids go to fish and sometimes kids swim in there. Wow," Kirsop said. She phoned a wildlife rescue service and was told crocodiles don't live in the area. Kirsop sent her own photos and video as proof. Kirsop was referred to the Australian Reptile Park, which keeps its own crocodiles in a temperature-controlled environment. Park manager Billy Collett said he suspected the images might have been artificial intelligence-generated fakes. But police confirmed there was a croc in Ironbark Creek. "I was a bit suspicious because we get a lot of phone calls. These days with AI, it's just so crazy," Collett said. He recognized it was an Australian freshwater crocodile, or crocodylus johnstoni, a smaller and less dangerous species than saltwater crocodiles , which can grow to more than 20 feet, weigh over a to...