Paris has been in the worldwide news lately—the 2024 Summer Olympics are being held there beginning July 26th. This flashy city may be known as the City of Love, the City of Lights, and the fashion capital of the world, but perhaps it should be known as the City of the Sewer Crocodile!
Although this sounds absurd, there was once a rumor that a crocodile lived in the sewers of Paris. Surprisingly, this rumor actually turned out to be true!
Discovering the Croc
In 1984, council workers got a scare when working on a construction project in Paris’s old sewer system.
While working on the project, these workers noticed something strange. When they got closer, they realized just what was sharing the sewer with them: a 500 pound crocodile!
Eleanor the Crocodile
Amazingly, this giant Nile crocodile had lived in the sewers near the Seine River. She was dubbed Eleanor.
As a relocation effort began to get Eleanor out of sewers and into a proper home, there was one outstanding question: how on Earth did a crocodile even get into Paris’s sewer system?
One Possibility
No one knows for sure how Eleanor ended up in the sewers. One hypothesis is that she was someone’s pet, and when she grew too large, was released into the water.
Unfortunately, many invasive species which cause ecological problems begin this way. Sometimes, when humans tire of a pet, they just release it into the world instead of finding a proper home.
Eleanor vs. the Rats
In Eleanor’s case, she might have actually helped keep the rat population of Paris in check! Crocodiles need to eat a lot to survive, and Eleanor’s primary food source were Parisian rats.
Rats are commonplace in Paris. Apparently, the rat population in the area of the city where Eleanor lived was actually reduced due to her diet.
The Heat of the City
Crocodiles are not meant to live in a cooler climate like France. They are simply not evolved to live in cold temperatures.
However, temperatures tend to be warmer in cities. Additionally, the temperature underground always remains between 45 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The underground sewer system was actually warm enough for Eleanor to survive.
Eleanor’s New Home
After the city workers reported that Eleanor was in the sewers, a relocation mission commenced. First, she was taken to a nearby zoo in Paris.
After some time, Eleanor was relocated to an aquarium in a more remote part of France called Vannes.
Eleanor’s Home in Vannes
Eleanor’s story traveled far and wide. People visited the aquarium in Vannes just to see the famous crocodile.
The best part is that the aquarium designed a special habitat just for her! They recreated the Paris sewers in her enclosure so that her surroundings would be familiar.
The End of Eleanor’s Life
The Vannes aquarium closed in 2020 and Eleanor was moved to a reserve in Drôme, France. Unfortunately, due to the stress of moving and her old age, Eleanor died on June 8th, 2021.
At her biggest, Eleanor grew to 8 feet long. She weighed about 550 lbs. She was likely around 40 years old when she passed.
Crocodiles in Other Cities
We can’t be certain that there are crocodiles living in other cities where they don’t belong, but there have been many rumors beyond Eleanor of both crocodiles and alligators living in sewers.
Some of the most famous stories of urban alligators occur in New York City, New York.
The Alligators of New York City
There have been rumors of alligators living in the sewers of NYC for many, many years. In the book The World Beneath by Robert Daly, stories from sewer superintendents and workers about alligator encounters are disclosed. Although New York residents have been told that none exist (at least anymore) many people believe that there is still a thriving alligator community underground.
There is, however, one verified story of an alligator in New York City. In February 1935, the New York Times published a story about a group of boys that had spotted an 8-foot-long alligator in a sewer and pulled it up. Likely, the alligator had fallen from a passing boat and swam into the city’s storm drains.
Eleanor’s Legacy
Our Parisian crocodile, Eleanor’s legacy lives on. A children’s book called Kylie the Crocodile in Paris is inspired by Eleanor’s story!
Although rumors of alligators and crocodiles that live in city sewers seem far-fetched, it has actually happened more than once. These stories may be interesting, but make sure to be a responsible pet owner—these reptiles had to get in the sewers somehow!
