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An alligator was found in a creek in Rockland County, New York, sparking widespread confusion and curiosity about how it ended up there. On November 14, the Haverstraw Police Department shared on social media that a juvenile alligator was pulled from the Minisceongo Creek.
In a post on Facebook, the Haverstraw Police Department said their “personnel assisted in successfully removing the alligator from the water,” and added, “the Hudson Valley Humane Society of Pomona responded to the scene to take possession and care of the alligator.”
The discovery immediately caught the attention of locals, many of whom voiced their surprise and confusion online. “Had to be a pet. Illegally I'm sure,” one Facebook user commented, while another suggested, “People need to stop getting them as pets,” speculating that the alligator might have been a pet abandoned in the cold water.
In response to the situation, the Hudson Valley Humane Society praised the quick actions of the Haverstraw police. “Many thanks to the incredible response from the Haverstraw Police Department today regarding an alligator in the Minisceongo Creek (Garnerville, NY) who needed rescue. Their quick-thinking and professionalism helped to get this juvenile alligator to safety at the Hudson Valley Humane Society. Currently, this gator is warming up from the cold water,” the organisation wrote on Facebook.
The alligator was safely handed over to the Humane Society staff for care. A Bronx Zoo herpetologist later confirmed the alligator was a male and in good health despite its ordeal.
The big question remains — how did the alligator, which is not native to upstate New York, end up in the creek?
By November 15, the Hudson Valley Humane Society shared an update, saying the alligator, named Philippe, had been moved to Reptile Encounters, a reptile rescue centre in Saugerties, New York, run by Mark Perpetua.
It is illegal to own an alligator in New York but authorities have noted that many people purchase young alligators as pets and later abandon them once the animals grow too large.
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