NYC Parks staff captured a roughly 4-foot alligator from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. The alligator was eventually transported to the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation. (NYC Parks)
It’s no 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.
The 4-foot (1.2-meter) reptile was pulled from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn around 8:30 a.m. and taken to an animal care center 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.
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.
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.
The suspect accused of orchestrating the killing of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur is set to be arraigned Thursday on a murder charge. Duane Davis is expected to plead not guilty to murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Police have removed the remains of at least 189 people from a Colorado funeral home after responding to a report of an "abhorrent" smell earlier this month.
Actor Alec Baldwin could once again face criminal charges for a deadly shooting on the 'Rust' movie set in 2021 when cinematographer Helena Hutchins was killed and director Joel Sousa was injured.
