New York: For years, New Yorkers have pondered the myth that alligators roam the city’s sewer system, even celebrating Alligators in the Sewers Day as an unofficial February holiday.
But it’s no longer an urban legend: An alligator was found in a chilly New York City lake on Sunday, far from the subtropical and tropical climates where such creatures thrive.
Alligator found in a Brooklyn Park.Credit:via NYC Parks
The 1.2-metre reptile was pulled from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn around 8.30am and taken to an animal care centre and then the Bronx Zoo for medical treatment and rehabilitation.
City officials said the gator appeared lethargic and possibly cold shocked.
It was likely dumped as an unwanted pet, they said. Releasing animals in city parks is illegal. Police are investigating.
“We’re grateful to our Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers who snapped into action to capture and transport the alligator,” a spokesperson for NYC Parks said in a statement.
No one was harmed in the process of the animal’s capture and transport to the zoo, the department said.
Alligator attacks are extremely rare in the United States, even in the states where they usually reside. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission counted that there were only 442 unprovoked bite incidents in the state from 1948 to 2021.
The New York City Parks department issued a public warning against releasing non-native animals into the city’s environment, which is illegal.
New York City Urban Park Rangers respond to about 500 calls regarding animals in poor condition each year.
Sightings like Sunday’s help keep the urban legend alive, but experts throw cold water on the sewer theory.
Alligators aren’t suited to the sewer system’s frigid, toxic environment, they say.
AP, Reuters
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