Mysterious crocodile sighting has made an Italian village famous. It may not even exist

Residents of a small Tuscan village cannot agree on whether there is a crocodile in the lake or not. A photo shows the predator in a murky lake in Masiano, with its eyes and snout slightly above the surface of the water. He shared the photo in May, but despite this evidence, people of the village are not on the same page about the existence of the crocodile. However, visitors and hunters are coming from far-off places to get a look at this croc that may or may not be real.

The croc was reportedly kept as a young hatchling by an unknown person but escaped to the lake in Masiano during floods three years ago. The 50-foot-deep lake provides a great place for the creature because of the abundance of fish in it. It also has steep banks and sturdy fencing that stop it from escaping. Vivai Reali, the owner of the lake, saw the crocodile and informed the police about it. He also hired a French croc hunter, Olivier Behra, to capture it. But the creature has eluded him.

However, he claimed in a Facebook post that it is about 5 feet long, which means it is still young, and he believes we have "good 20 years before it poses any real threat." He has abandoned the hunt for now and will resume it in September when the water levels drop.

Meanwhile, several people in the area are sure that the crocodile is not real. Tommaso Pinferi, a 35-year-old business owner, told the Times, "I've seen many strange creatures walk the streets of Masiano, but never a crocodile." But the person who filed the report with the police would have been careful about lying about it, since a false alarm would lead to his being imprisoned for six months and a fine of up to €516.

AI photo of crocodile?

The brother of the lake owner says that the police had the photo analysed by an AI research team in Florence, which confirmed that it was not fake. However, local officials are keeping mum on the matter, which has triggered a range of speculations among the people. Rumours are abuzz that duck and heron populations are declining in the lake because of the crocodile. Whatever the truth is, locals are capitalising on the publicity. A pub has introduced the "Masiano Crocodile" cocktail to its menu, while a local youth football team has renamed itself the "Masiano Crocodiles".