Over the last several years, some new arrivals have taken up residence at Naval Air Station Key West’s airfield on Boca Chica Key: American crocodile.
“We don’t know exactly how many we have,” said Ed Barham, the environmental director for the base. “But we know we have four or five of them pretty much all the time.”
An American crocodile, estimated at 8 to 10 feet long, hangs out on Naval Air Station Key West’s airfield. The base is seeking nickname suggestions for the new “mascot.”
Sometimes the crocodiles get stuck on the base because of the fencing. Navy personnel have removed sections of the fence to let the crocodiles go where they want.
Barham said the crocodiles haven’t ventured onto the runways during flight operations — yet — but that they have been known to cross the roadways on the base and sometimes get stuck there because of the fencing.
Barham shot a picture of a particularly large one, an estimated 8 to 10 feet long, hanging out on the edge of a lagoon on the base, with its mouth open. NAS Key West recently made the image the cover photo on its Facebook page and has been soliciting nickname suggestions.