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"Deadly Nile crocodile is captured in the Florida Everglades following two year hunt after it escaped from its enclosure

A juvenile Nile crocodile has been captured in Florida's Everglades National Park
The five-and-a-half-foot croc is believed to have been at large for two years after escaping a Miami-Dade facility
DNA testing is being carried out to determine who owns the crocodile and criminal charges could be pursued
Nile crocs can grow up to 20 feet and weigh 2,000lb
The species is much more aggressive than the smaller, rarely seen American crocodile

By Alex Greig and Associated Press

Published: 15:30 GMT, 13 March 2014 | Updated: 15:54 GMT, 13 March 2014

A dangerous Nile crocodile has been captured alive in Florida's Everglades National Park after a two year hunt.

Wildlife officials believe the five-and-a-half-foot killer may be the same one that escaped from a Miami-Dade facility and had eluded them for almost two years.

The African species grows up to 20-feet-long, can weigh as much as 2,000lb, and is much more aggressive than the smaller American crocodile, which is shy of humans and rarely seen.

Juvenile: This Nile crocodile was captured on Sunday in Florida's Everglades National Park

The Nile crocodile is thought to be responsible for 275 to 745 attacks on people a year, most of them fatal, making it the third-most dangerous species in Africa, after the lion and hippopotamus, according to the Crocodile Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

'They get big. They're vicious. The animals are just more aggressive and they learn that humans are easy targets,' said Joe Wasilewski, a reptile expert and veteran wrangler. The American croc 'is a gentle animal, believe it or not. That's their nature. They're more fish eaters. They don't consider humans a prey source.'

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says they believe the Nile croc may have escaped from a facility in Miami-Dade County. He says they're looking at DNA to confirm their suspicions.

Allowing Nile crocodiles to escape into the wild is a third-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and jail time of up to six months.
Prevention: Florida has more invasive amphibians and reptiles than anywhere else in the world, and the Everglades' delicate ecosystem has already been overrun by Burmese pythons, so authorities are eager to prevent the same problem with Nile crocs

Prevention: Florida has more invasive amphibians and reptiles than anywhere else in the world, and the Everglades' delicate ecosystem has already been overrun by Burmese pythons, so authorities are eager to prevent the same problem with Nile crocs

The croc was spotted last week by volunteers with the Swamp Apes, a team that searches for invasive Burmese pythons, reports the Miami Herald, but before that hadn't been seen since April 2012.

Two days later, a team of volunteers used nets to corner the crocodile in a canal in the Chekika area in the northeast corner of the park then tranquilized it.

The croc was taken to the Everglades Alligator farm in Homestead, where it will remain while officials determine its fate.

Crocodiles have been around for more than 200 million years. The average lifespan of a Nile crocodile is about 45 years, but can be much longer in captivity.

It's not unusual for Nile crocodiles to kill huge prey such as young hippopotamuses, giraffes, lions, buffalo, and on rare occasions, humans."

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