CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- This weekend's cold snap forced an endangered American crocodile from his underwater hideout at the University of Miami and into the hands of trappers.

SLIDESHOW: Take A Picture Tour Of The Croc's Final UM Appearance

The 200-pound reptile, who had eluded trappers for a few weeks, left the university's Lake Osceola to warm up in the sun when temperatures dipped into the 50s on Sunday.

"The crocodile fought pretty ferociously in the lake. It took around 15 minutes to bring the animal in, literally at the base of the swimming pool," said trapper Todd Hardwick. "By the time we were done, we were actually up on the swimming pool deck. It was a strange place to see people in bikinis scattering, running in every direction."

"It went right over us," said a giggling UM student who was laying out when trappers carried the croc by.

Hardwick felt the dip in weekend temperatures was key to capturing the croc.

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"With this temperature drop, I had a very strong hunch he would come up on shore and bask in the sun," said Hardwick, the owner of Pesky Critters animal trappers.

"Donna," as the nearly 8-foot croc was affectionately known by students before his male sex was discovered, had made university officials uneasy in recent weeks by his casual behavior and for safety reasons.

The crocodile eventually had his snout taped shut and was taken off campus by the trappers, past several sunbathing students.

Hardwick said the American crocodile, while more docile than its cousin, the American alligator, is more difficult to catch, partly because it has endangered status, making it illegal to injure or kill it. There are only 600 to 1,000 American adult crocs in Florida compared to nearly 1.4 million alligators.

Donna will be relocated to the Southern Glades Wildlife Management Area near the Miami-Dade and Monroe county line once the weather warms up.

Hardwick, mindful of Miami's rivalry with the University of Florida, predicted the croc would return to the campus within six months.

"It's a beautiful campus. Who wouldn't want to stay here? " Hardwick said. "He felt OK here when he found out only Gators were banned."

UPDATE: Second Croc Surfaces In UM Lake