A citizen called police after a “crocodile” was spotted in a stream in Rudolstadt, Thüringen, on Friday, 13 November 2026. Officers checked the report after a nearby contact patrol took it up. The animal was later touched with a tape measure to confirm what it was. The “crocodile” proved to be a very realistic decoy, which came loose from the riverbank and drifted away. The decoy was temporarily left at the scene after officers could no longer see it in the water. Only a few hours later, another report came in that a similar “crocodile” was back in the stream, at a spot where it could be taken from the water. Where the decoy crocodile came from is still unknown, and police continue their investigation. The case remains under investigation.