There's something swimming in Toronto's Catfish pond and it definitely doesn't look like it's a catfish.
A YouTube video has emerged showing a caiman, a crocodile-like reptile swimming in a pond inside Toronto's High Park. The footage was shot by Teghan Stadnyk who saw the critter on Sunday.
UPDATE: The baby caiman was captured by Toronto Animal Services and Reptilia Zoo staff Monday, according to CP24.
"Me and my friend were just hanging out and he saw something and was like 'oh my gosh, is that a crocodile,'" she told BlogTo. "We just went and sat and watched it for half an hour and it stood just still for a while and then swam around and made some biting motions. It's pretty fascinating – I've never seen anything like that before."
Stadnyk later contacted the city's animal services department who confirmed to the Huffington Post Canada that there is a caiman in the pond.
The reptile is estimated to be around 24 to 30 inches long, according to Tammy Robbinson, a spokesperson with the agency.
Robbinson said both an officer and supervisor from Toronto Animal Services are currently in the area, along with members of the Toronto police department. Police were called in order to provide a boat to navigate the pond, while members with Reptilia, a reptile zoo in Vaughan, Ont., were called to lend their expertises.
The plan is to use a net or a catch pole to catch the reptile. After capture, the caiman will either go Reptilia or an animal sanctuary.
Caimans are not native to Canada and are typically found in warmer climates in South and Central America. It's still unclear how the caiman got into the pond or where it originally came from.
For the time being, Robbinson urges residents in the area to keep a close watch on their pets.
"If you have a pet, stay clear of the pond and keep them on a leash," she said.
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