An alligator was found in a creek in Rockland County, New York, causing mass confusion and curiosity as to how it got there. On November 14, the Haverstraw Police Department shared on social media that a juvenile alligator was pulled from Minisyongo Creek.
In a post on Facebook, the Haverstraw Police Department said that their “staff assisted in successfully removing the alligator from the water,” adding, “The Hudson Valley Humane Society of Pomona responded to the scene to capture and care for the alligator.” But reacted.”
The discovery immediately attracted the attention of locals, many of whom expressed their surprise and confusion online. “Wanted to be a pet. Illegally I’m sure,” one Facebook user commented, while another suggested, “People need to stop keeping them as pets,” speculating that the crocodile was a pet left in the cold water. It is possible
In response to the situation, the Hudson Valley Humane Society praised the quick action of Haverstraw police. “Many thanks to the Haverstraw Police Department for their incredible response today regarding an alligator in Minisongo Creek (Garnerville, NY) that needed rescue. His quick thinking and professionalism helped deliver this juvenile alligator to the safety of the Hudson Valley Humane Society. Currently, this gator is warming up with cold water,” the organization wrote on Facebook.
The crocodile was safely handed over to Humane Society staff for care. A herpetologist from the Bronx Zoo later confirmed that the crocodile was a male and was in good health despite its ordeal.
The big question remains – how did the alligator, which is not native to the New York suburbs, get into the bay?
As of November 15, the Hudson Valley Humane Society shared an update, saying that the alligator, named Phillip, had been taken to Reptile Encounters, a reptile rescue center in Saugerties, New York, run by Mark Perpetua.
It is illegal to own alligators in New York, but officials have noticed that many people buy young alligators as pets and later abandon them when the animals grow too large.
