A three-foot long caiman was dumped in a public swimming spot near Benidorm as cops launched a hunt for the culprit.
The reptile was spotted in a reservoir by members of a local fishing club, who alerted the authorities immediately.
It is one of the most popular bathing spots in the province of Albacete, Spain.
The reservoir is on the outskirts of Benidorm – popular with holidaying Brits.
Officers from the Nature Protection Service of the Spanish Guardia Civil, environmental agents, and staff from the Albacete Wildlife Recovery Centre were dispatched to the scene.
They worked together with the fishermen to safely capture the animal from the Almansa reservoir using bait, as reported by Need To Know.
The captured reptile was identified as a yacare caiman measuring just under a metre (3 ft 3 in) long.
It is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay and is listed as a protected species under the Washington Convention.
Neither the animal nor those involved in its capture were harmed.
The caiman is now believed to have been transferred to Safari Madrid zoo in the Spanish capital.
The police said in a statement: “The Guardia Civil is now working to locate the person who released the caiman into the Almansa reservoir.”
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