Family finds zoo's missing crocodile, puts it in a bathtub

An Australian man was shocked when he found a crocodile lying on the banks of the Georges River while on a walk with his family on Sunday.

Aaron Hughes said that when he stumbled upon the creature, he and his wife shared a laugh but then began worrying about the animal's wellbeing.

"Basically it did look a bit malnourished and we weren't sure what to do," he told ABC News.

Hughes grabbed the crocodile from behind and took it home to chill in his bathtub. Of course, he called a vet to ask for advice.

It's a good thing he did that, because, as it turns out, the gator was stolen.

Kogarah Police came to his home and took it to the station. On Monday, they confirmed it was one of two crocs stolen from a mobile zoo last month.

Snap and Crackle, the reptilian pair, were taken from their enclosure with no signs of forced entry. The one Hughes found is now recovering in the zoo.

The zoo is worried about the second creature, since it is not expected to survive the winter in the wild.