Most people are familiar with the urban legend of “alligators in the sewers,” especially here in New York City. And a good portion of those people probably still believe it’s just that, an urban legend. But it has actually happened (and there are many “out of place” animal reports in addition to this one). But recently the NYPD found an alligator right here in my own backyard on Staten Island, NY. The out of place reptile was found in a bathtub of an abandoned house. Read on…
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Officers in the 121st Precinct found an alligator in a home in Mariners Harbor while responding to a report of a burglary on Tuesday, according to a social media post.
Photos of the alligator and the officers were posted on the 121st Precinct Twitter feed.
The officers were called at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to what turned out to be an abandoned home on Bush Avenue, an NYPD spokesman said.
The back door to the residence was open. During a search of the house, officers found the alligator in a bathtub, the police spokesman said.
The Emergency Service Unit assisted in the reptilian rescue and the alligator was taken to city Animal Care and Control for an evaluation, according to the 121 Precinct Twitter feed.
Surprised by alligator when @NYPD121Pct responded to a burglary @NYPDSpecialops #ESU rescued. ? @NYCACC for eval. pic.twitter.com/xu5SWr3PXZ
— NYPDPaws (@NYPDPaws) August 24, 2016
Drugs are a huge problem in many parts of Staten Island these days, and Mariners Harbor is not immune to drug-related incidents and other criminal acts, so the burglary report doesn’t surprise me at all. But who brought the alligator into this abandoned home? Did it just wander in there? If so, where did it come from? I love local neighborhood mysteries like this.
