The Associated Press

HOLLYWOOD — Authorities say they’ve captured a 6-foot crocodile that came ashore on a Florida beach.

News outlets report that wildlife officers caught the large reptile Monday afternoon on Hollywood Beach.

Hollywood spokeswoman Joann Hussey says it was first spotted near the pier in nearby Dania Beach as it drifted south in the Atlantic Ocean. Before the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded, lifeguards were keeping people a safe distance from the creature.

Hollywood Beach is located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.