Hold Up! Wildlife Documentary Filmmaker Nearly Falls for 'Bristol Crocodile' That Was Actually a Wet Shoe
A wildlife filmmaker's viral video of what appeared to be the legendary Bristol Crocodile turned out to be a waterlogged shoe in England's Avon River, reigniting the long-standing urban legend that has captivated locals since 2014.
Shocking twist! Wildlife documentary filmmakers worldwide nearly fell for the 'Bristol Crocodile' legend, only to discover it was a waterlogged shoe. The English urban legend has made a comeback on social media once again.
Dom Davies, a wildlife filmmaker who has worked with real crocodiles in South America, confirms he wasn't seriously fooled by the 'mysterious creature' in the Avon River in England, though he admits there was a moment when he almost believed it.
The entire incident stems from the 'Bristol Crocodile' legend that has circulated since 2014, when a bus driver claimed to see something resembling a crocodile in the city's river. It soon became an endless tale that people kept talking about.
Despite many years passing, no one has ever captured or truly confirmed the existence of this crocodile. However, the story never died down. Instead, it became inspiration for artwork and a 2023 documentary—an urban legend that locals seem to want to believe in.
The 38-year-old Davies, who has worked extensively with wildlife, admits that while he knows scientifically that crocodiles couldn't survive in the cold waters of the Avon River, sometimes what you see in a split second can still make you doubt. He explained that on that day, an object emerged from the water at just the 'right angle,' causing his brain to work on autopilot with the classic thought: 'If it were really alive, it wouldn't have survived this long'—before discovering the truth: it was a 'wet shoe.'
Davies even admitted that at first glance, the shoe resembled a caiman from South America, a species he had filmed before, making his brain feel slightly tricked.
So he picked up his phone, filmed a funny clip, and posted it to social media on April 26. It quickly went viral, garnering nearly 58,000 views and over 1,600 likes in no time.
After the clip spread, comments flooded in. Some said it really looked like a crocodile; others even gave philosophical warnings: 'Be careful, or you'll hallucinate and see crocodiles as shoes next time.' One person sealed the deal with the comment: 'That shoe is actually a Croc.'
