A REAL-LIFE Crocodile Dundee faced a toothy problem when he met a scaly reptile out on the prowl, writes NICOLA SKINNER.

Inspired by the hit Paul Hogan movie, jobless Robert Gwyther tried to wrestle with the 16-inch reptile -- Australian-style -- until it bit him on the hand. So he wrapped it tightly in his coat and took it to a friend's house where it was kept overnight with three pet terrapins.

Mr Gwyther, 45, was walking his dog Jasmine when he found the croc on a patch of grass at the back of his home in Downham Way, Bromley. Mr Gwyther said: "The dog wouldn't stop barking at this thing in the grass. I thought it was a lizard at first but it bit me on the finger so I wrapped it in my coat. We put it in the tank and it ate all the terrapins and goldfish," he added.

After its tasty supper the crocodile was taken to the RSPCA's Harmsworth Hospital in Holloway, north London. Inspectors Mark Martin and Megan Jones collected the crocodile and took it to London Zoo where it was identified as a spectacled caiman. They can grow up to eight feet in the wild and are imported from South America in large numbers and cost around £100 to buy from a dealer. Insp Jones said: "The RSPCA is regularly called out to cases involving cats and dogs but this is the first stray crocodile we have ever dealt with. It appears the animal was dumped and would probably have died if it had not been found." She said she had dealt with many exotic pets which had been neglected or dumped by people who don't realise how difficult they are to keep. The crocodile is being looked after at the hospital and will be found a new home with a reptile enthusiast in the next few days.

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