Singapore - A fisherman snared a metre-long crocodile believed to be the reptile spotted by several people in a park not far from the heart of Singapore, news reports said on Wednesday.

The angler was fishing off a bridge when his line hooked the leg of the crocodile. The animal has been the target of a search by park employees and video enthusiasts since a snapshot was taken in a river canal by a girl more than three weeks ago.

The unidentified fisherman reeled it in, The Straits Times said. He and a companion shone a light at it before they realized it was a crocodile staring back.

They lifted the reptile onto and bridge and turned it on its back to stop it from escaping.

When they were taping the crocodile's mouth with scotch tape and tying it up with rope, they called over another regular park goer, Muhd Rizhal Senin, 30.

"They were shocked for a while because it's an unexpected catch," the newspaper quoted Rizhal as saying.

He called police, who took the reptile away. It was turned over to the Singapore Zoo on Tuesday. (dpa)