Gator Found in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Sent to Bronx Zoo for Rehab
Rebecca West
Once again, what was likely a "pet" that outgrew its surroundings has been drug from a body of water, leaving wildlife officials baffled at the irresponsible behavior of a person or persons that would dump an animal. In this most recent example, authorities were called to Brooklyn, New York's famed Prospect Park, to remove an alligator!
Photo: Pixabay/GreyerbabyProspect Park
Local news station PIX11 reported that the creature was said to be in poor condition by park officials and notably sluggish. Alligators live in warm climates and don't do cold, period, so it's a surprise that this fairly large member of the Crocodilia family made it til late February in the Northeast. Authorities added that the lethargic gator may have suffered shock from the cold.
"Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks – domesticated or otherwise," the spokesperson said. "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."
The Bronx Zoo
The alligator was initially taken to Animal Care Centers before being transferred to the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation, PIX11 also reported. Local park-goers expressed disbelief over the animal's presence in the park's small lake. "What? An alligator?! Okay . . . oh, my goodness," a rattled Vijay Jacob told the New York Post. "That's pretty terrifying since this part is a pretty kids-dominated section of the park."
Another man, who gave his name as Moses, reportedly told the paper, "You'd never expect to see something like that here. But man, I feel bad for it. It shouldn't be in a lake. Animals are like people, you know?"
Urban Legends
Not surprisingly, authorities in NYC rescue a handful of alligators each year, which only feeds the belief by some that the massive reptiles are living below ground in the sewer system. It doesn't help that in 1935 two young boys really did see one in a storm drain.
