An American crocodile was placed into “permanent captivity” after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrangled it out of the water in Brevard County, Florida, on Monday. The crocodile was discovered with a dead dog in its mouth.

According to Fox 35, residents reported that the American crocodile was seen swimming in a canal with a dog in its mouth on Monday near South Patrick Drive in Brevard County and that the dog looked like a golden retriever. The residents claimed that the crocodile continues to return to the area, especially around the canals of Indian Harbour Beach, despite being relocated multiple times.

“It was just heartbreaking,” Zack Spurlock, a local resident who captured a video of the American crocodile, told WESH 2 News. “I’m a dog owner. I know they’re part of the family.”

WESH 2 News reported that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to Monday’s incident and wrangled the crocodile out of the water. The outlet noted that fire rescue officials also responded to the scene, and multiple neighbors stopped to watch as the crocodile was wrangled.

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Spurlock told WESH 2 News that the crocodile has been previously relocated three or four times but continues to return to the canal where it was spotted with the dead dog on Monday. The local resident explained that he has observed the crocodile multiple times over the past three years and recorded multiple videos of it.

“It has zero fear of humans,” Spurlock said. “When I saw that behavior, I knew something bad was going to happen.”

Following Monday’s incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released a statement, saying, “This individual was the only confirmed American crocodile documented in this area since 2018.” The commission added, “After careful consideration, the crocodile has been placed into permanent captivity.”

According to News 6, Gatorland’s Brandon Fisher told the outlet that officials usually try to relocate American crocodiles before resorting to permanent captivity or euthanasia due to the American crocodile’s status as a protected species.

“With a crocodile, they’re a little bit bigger than the native American alligator,” Fisher told News 6. “They’re also a more timid species, but once they get a taste for pets or easy food sources, relocation can become more difficult.”

“Because it got ahold of that dog, now it’s a bigger problem,” Fisher added. “If they released it again, it would probably come back, looking for food.”