© iStockphoto.com/Tibi Popescu

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND NEWS – A CROCODILE has been found wandering in Mt Isa’s aquatic centre, and it’s doubtful it got there on its own.

The reptile was nabbed on Tuesday night after a passer-by spotted it wandering in grass near the 50-metre pool at Splashez, the local swimming centre.

“I think it’s safe to say it had a bit of help getting over the fence,” proprietor Brian Rodriguez told AAP on Thursday.

“We turned all the floodlights on and we went searching with the police and it was found in the grass.”

Mt Isa police Inspector Paul Biggin said the croc was restrained and animal protection officers released it back into the wild.

Like fish that get away, crocs have a habit of growing every time a yarn’s retold.

“It seems to have grown in length with each report,” Inspector Biggin said.

“The police who initially went there told me when they rounded it up it was about half a metre long,” he said.

“I’m now hearing it’s about 1.2, 1.5 metres long.

“I’ll go with the half metre.”

Insp Biggin said similar things had happened before.

He said it appeared small crocodiles were caught in the Gulf rivers area and brought to Mt Isa as pets.

“Usually what happens is someone gets bitten or it gets fairly aggressive, and they go ‘that’s not such a good idea any more’ and they just release it.”