The reptile was first spotted around midday on Saturday in Ironbark Creek at Federal Park in Wallsend, about 100km north of Sydney, by a group of teenagers.
Stephanie Kirsop, whose son was among those who saw the animal, initially dismissed the sighting.
“This is a trick … it looks like a crocodile but that’s probably a log,” she told The Guardian.
After visiting the creek herself, she realised it was indeed “this little crocodile swimming around in the water.”
The discovery, near a public pool and primary school, prompted calls to wildlife rescue group Wires, the Australian Reptile Park and New South Wales police.
Once a Police officer confirmed the sighting, crocodile handlers led by Billy Collett from the Australian Reptile Park were deployed.
After unsuccessful attempts on Saturday, the team returned Sunday with a motorised boat and captured the reptile about 3km downstream.
Collett said their main concern was the animal’s welfare, noting they were about 2,500km away from the species’ natural range in northern Australia.
The freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) is native to northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Authorities suspect it may have been an escaped pet. The animal has since been taken to the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast for veterinary checks. Police said it remains unclear how it ended up in the creek.
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