While there have been urban legends about alligators in the sewers of New York City for ages, one popped up in an NYC park over the weekend.
On Sunday morning, park maintenance staff at Prospect Park lake spotted a 4-foot long alligator in the waters and alerted Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers. The creature was captured, brought to Animal Care Centers of NYC (AAC), before being transferred to the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation.
The animal was reportedly found in “poor condition and very lethargic,” with the NYC Parks saying in a statement to TooFab it was “possibly cold shocked since it is native to warm, tropical climates.”
“We’re grateful to our Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers who snapped into action to capture and transport the alligator. Thankfully no one was harmed and the animal is being evaluated,” the organization added in a statement.
“Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks — domesticated or otherwise. In addition to the potential danger to park goers this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality,” they added.
It’s unclear how the gator wound up in the lake, but it is illegal to release animals in NYC parks.
According to the AAC, the gator has been nicknamed “Godzilla.”
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