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Officials from the city of New York announced on Monday that a “extremely lethargic” alligator that had been caught there had likely been released by its owner far from the alligator’s preferred habitat in the southeast of the country.
The reptile was discovered on Sunday morning in Prospect Park, which is a popular location for Brooklyn residents to picnic and stroll with their pets, particularly when winter temperatures are in the 50s Fahrenheit (10–15 Celsius), as they were over the holiday weekend.
The alligator, which was caught by rangers, was found to be “very lethargic and possibly cold shocked,” according to a statement from New York City Parks. It was four feet long (1.2 meters).
Aside from being illegal, their release could also “lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality,” the document continued. Such urban public areas “are not appropriate homes for animals not indigenous to those parks.”
The statement added that “thankfully no one was harmed” and stated that the alligator was subsequently transported to the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation.
The last known sighting of an alligator in New York was in June 2001, when officials, the media, and interested locals spent five days pursuing and catching a stray caiman in Central Park.
About 500 animal health complaints are addressed by the Urban Park rangers in New York each year.
