Marbella in the Costa del Sol has one more thing that is terrorising locals, the Costa Croc. Not only are drunk Brits a major problem and criminals on the run, but now locals have a crocodile to fear. A seven-foot-long crocodile is thought to be hiding out by a lake near Marbella.
Signs in Spanish have been erected in the popular holiday resort of Mijas warning ‘Grave Danger. ‘Crocodile on the Loose.’ Police have also been taking turns on watch, keeping out for the killer reptile. The croc which easts a diet of birds and occasionally humans, is thought to have been abandoned by a local.
The croc has been spotted by a great feeding ground, it is an area popular with walkers, joggers and bite sized children, as well as near a golf club, which incidentally is popular with Brits. Luckily for the crocodile, at the moment British holiday makers are ignoring the warning signs although it might be that they can’t understand what it says. If the croc does get hungry he can just go after one of many tourists flocking to the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
To add to the woes of locals, the authorities aren’t that hopeful of catching the beast. They think they will have a chance when the temperatures rise and it becomes more daring when it looks for food, hopefully that will be before drunk Brits descend on the island for the summer, as they will be easy pickings.
Many people believe the seven foot long beast which is thought to be aged between 12 and 18 from footprints found by the lake, could be an alligator, however Costa Croc makes for better headlines.
Expats have also voiced their concerns about the crazy croc. British expat Ross Bell, restaurant manager at El Soto Golf Club next to the lake, said: ‘The police have already been to see us and warned us a crocodile is on the loose. We thought they were joking at first but now the signs have gone up, we can see they’re taking it seriously. We’re still intending [to go] down there after work most nights to see if we can spot it. I’ve been told they can run fast but I’ll make sure I run faster if I come across it. I suspect it will turn out to be a caiman.’
Who knows maybe alligator or crocodile may be on the menu if he spots the beast and manages to wrestle it into submission.
Richard Seamark, who manages the golf shop, added: ‘Most of our British clients think it’s a bit of a joke really. After all the hoo-hah with horse meat, we’re thinking of offering croc-burgers if we catch it. We’ve had problems in the past with wild boar and put up fencing round the golf course five years ago because they were coming in and digging up the greens looking for food. We never thought though they might be a good crocodile deterrent.’
Mijas town hall spokesman Mario Bravo said: ‘We don’t believe the reptile will be a danger to human beings unless it feels intimidated or threatened. The main danger would be if someone accidentally trod on it in the undergrowth or tried to capture it because they want to take it home or gain fame as the person who caught it. Police are patrolling the area on motorbikes every day in the hope of spotting it but we know it’s an animal that isn’t that active in winter and won’t start showing itself much until the weather gets warmer.’
Image courtesy of Claude Robillard
