Alligator in New York river captured

Published  August 2, 2017 4:16pm EDT
FOX 5 New York
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
DEC staff captured an alligator in a river in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A small alligator turned up in a river in upstate New York, authorities said.

An officer and staff with the Department of Environmental Conservation captured the alligator Saturday, July 29, 2017, near Whitney Point. They long-handled nets to catch the 3-foot, 3-inch reptile.

The alligator was first seen in the Tioughnioga River a week earlier, DEC said.

"While rare, alligators are not unheard of in New York State. It is illegal to keep an alligator as a pet in New York," the DEC said in a Facebook post. "However it is possible that an individual obtained an alligator out of state, kept it as a pet until it became too large to care for, and released it into New York waters."

DEC staff turned over the alligator, between 2 and 4 years old, to Animal Adventure Park, the private zoo that is home to April, the giraffe that gained internet fame during the final weeks of her pregnancy.

Zoo staff said they are looking forward to educating visitors about the alligator, the AP reported.