Family on a stroll discover a zoo's lost crocodile, casually put it in their bathtub

Even though Australia is famed for its crocodiles, they're rarely found in the middle of Sydney.

No wonder local dude Aaron Hughes was taken aback. He spotted a young freshwater crocodile lying on the muddy banks of the Georges River, while on a family walk on Sunday.

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"Both my wife and I looked at each other and were having a bit of a laugh about what to do next, but we were mainly concerned for the animal's welfare," Hughes told ABC News. "Basically it did look a bit malnourished and we weren't sure what to do."

Hughes decided he had to do a Steve Irwin, capturing the crocodile from behind, so it wouldn't run away from him. He took it back home and kept it in his bathtub, then called a vet for advice. As you do.

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It turns out, this croc was a victim of theft.

Kogarah Police brought it back to the station to be cared for, and on Monday they confirmed it was one of two crocodiles stolen from a mobile zoo back in March.

The pair (named "Snap" and "Crackle") were taken from their enclosure with no signs of forced entry. The crocodile Hughes found is now back at home in the zoo, recovering.

The remaining crocodile isn't expected to survive the oncoming winter in the wild, but the zoo is still hopeful that it will be found before then.

Here's hoping, indeed.

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