Snapping Up A Bargain? Crocodile Roams Mall

Shoppers at a mall in California were given a shock when a 4ft-long crocodile was spotted wandering around.

Police in Roseville, a Sacramento suburb, captured the animal near a T.J. Maxx store after it escaped from a box left in front of a reptile shop called The Serpentarium.

Employee Abigail Kessler told the television channel News 10: "It got out. It was roaming around. We had to call animal control."

The box had a sign saying "Nile Crocodile. Contact Rescue."

The crocodile had duct tape wrapped around its mouth.

A worker at the Serpentarium said: "We are a safe surrender site but we normally get more common animals like bearded dragons, iguanas and ball pythons a crocodile is unusual.

"I'm fairly certain it was probably someone's domestic animal that got too big and they decided they couldn't handle it anymore."

Lt Patrick Foy from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the agency was "reasonably sure" the animal was indeed a Nile crocodile.

They are looking for a zoo or somewhere else to take the reptile.

Lt Foy added the crocodile appears to have broken teeth, which could be from biting wire cages.

California bans the ownership of crocodiles.