CLAIM: A video shows a large number of crocodiles that invaded a beach in Brazil, sparking panic among nearby residents.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The reptiles are yacare caimans, a species closely related to alligators, not crocodiles, multiple experts told The Associated Press. In the clip, they are congregating near a river during the dry season in Brazil’s Pantanal region to maintain their body temperature. This behavior is common in the area, which contains approximately 10 million yacare caimans, and happens every year.
THE FACTS: People spread a video widely on social media in recent days claiming that crocodiles invaded a beach in Brazil, making locals panic. In the clip, a considerable number of large reptiles are standing relatively still on a strip of sand next to a water source.
“In Brazil, an invasion of crocodiles that have flooded one of the beaches with several hundred, even thousands, and the local population is panicking,” one tweet featuring the video alleged. It received more than 38,000 shares and nearly 169,000 likes as of Tuesday.
The same video and caption also appeared on an Instagram post with nearly 17,000 likes and a tweet with more than 12,000 shares and more than 32,000 likes.”
But these claims are inaccurate for multiple reasons, experts told the AP. First, the reptiles are yacare caimans, not crocodiles. Second, there is nothing unusual about this behavior, which happens each year during the dry season in the Pantanal, the world’s largest...
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