Last week, the RCMP in Surrey, BC, received some alarming—and confusing—reports about a local marsh when several residents phoned in to report spotting a crocodile floating in the water.
For the record, there is no history of wild crocodiles living in Surrey, or anywhere in Canada for that matter (though an alligator was once caught in an Ontario pond), but since people insisted that they’d seen the massive reptile, the RCMP felt it necessary to check it out. When they went to the scene, however, what they found turned out to be a not a crocodile, but a blown truck tire that just happened to have an uncanny resemblance to a crocodile.
“Another croc sighting called in this weekend in the marsh off of Hwy 17 & 104 Ave. It sure looks like one, but it’s commercial truck tire!” the RCMP tweeted, including a photo of the floating tire that does indeed look strikingly like a crocodile, complete with a head and snout.
The RCMP went on to note that it wasn’t the first time the tire had been called in. “We got called to the same area a couple of weeks ago, must be the same tire but it has moved a bit apparently!”
Still, even with this reassurance, some people were not convinced. Twitter user suzannamichener wrote, “As someone who has seen several truck tires and probably no crocodiles I can confidently say that is not a truck tire.”
The RCMP has currently left the tire as-is, so if you live in the area and think you spot a crocodile, rest assured that it’s completely safe—probably.
