Crocodile in New Forest Lake

Crocodile in UK Lake


A fisherman has reported coming face to face with a crocodile in a lake in or near the new Forest.

Alan Pragnell, 64 was fishing in a lake nearby to Ringwood Hants and had caught a small roach and as he was reeling it in the crocodile struck. Mr Pragnel said:

“I was catching some small roach and something attached itself to the line. As I reeled in the fish, something grabbed it on the way. Normally when this happens it is a pike. There was a little bit of resistance. It let go as it got to the edge and I saw it sat there in the water.”

He added:

“It was quite clear enough. It was a matter of inches away, just lying there. It was a crocodile. It was about two foot long. I was looking at it in disbelief. It had four legs and a tail. It was there for about ten seconds and then sunk down into the depths. I know pike. I know what I saw.
It looked like someone had taken a Stanley knife to it. A pike doesn’t do that,”
When he reeled in his roach, it was already dead, with deep lacerations on each side of its body.


Since telling his story Mr Pragnell has had a bit of a hard time from some people. He gets the occasional laugh off some but he said:

“I am as sure as sure is. I’m 64 I have been fishing since I was six. What would be the point in lying? I reckon someone had it as a pet and just chucked it over the fence when it got too big.”

Joking apart there is a growing number of people that now are satisfied that Mr Pragnell’s account of the encounter is coorect.

The sighting was in the summer and Mr Pragnell never went widely public with his report and admits that those who he had told had exaggerated the size of the crocodile in typical fishermen style, but both he and the officials he reported it to have not disclosed the exact location of the lake, so as not to create a media circus.


The chances of a crocodile surviving the British Winter we have had are slim, but beware,

There is an American Alligator species that have been known to survive and live in frozen conditions.
You have been warned.

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