This story isn’t a “croc.” But Massachusetts residents couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a young alligator casually roaming Boston-area streets recently, according to The Associated Press.
The little gator is reportedly just a little over a foot long but big enough to startle a few people as it became a local media sensation, while residents captured video of the critter slithering away. As a result, a search to save the reptile from a looming New England winter ensued.
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Local reaction
Whitney Lieberman was out for a jog when she spotted the alligator. She quickly alerted local wildlife authorities.
“Yeah, I did a double-take,” Lieberman told the AP. “For a second, I had to check myself — alligators are not native to Boston waterways, right?” I texted my coworkers because I had a morning meeting. ‘Hey guys, this is a good excuse to be late to work. There is an alligator right in front of me, and I don’t know what to do.’”
Her call proved important, as the baby gator was in danger due to the Northeast’s typically cold temperatures, which can drop well below what the reptiles can endure for long periods of time.
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Adult alligators can grow to more than 11 feet long and weigh more than 500 pounds.
Alligators prefer climates with temperatures above 80 degrees because they’re cold-blooded and unable to regulate their body temperature on their own. If temperatures drop too low, the animals enter a state of energy conservation known as brumation, a survival mechanism.
Gator search and rescue
The young gator would face almost certain death if forced to endure a New England winter. Fortunately, Joe Kenney, a local wildlife educator, reportedly caught the swamp creature on Wednesday night.
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife said in a statement that it is allowing Kenney to keep the critter while officials look for a more suitable long-term home for the alligator.
Kenney, who lives in Abington, Massachusetts, said the alligator, given its size and young age, is essentially harmless to people. He said he found it while out for a walk in an area where it had been spotted. He said he was “a little shocked” by his discovery.
‘Charles’ the gator
Since then, Kenney said fans of the gator have wanted him to name the reptile “Charles” as an homage to Boston’s Charles River, where the critter was found. Kenney said he’ll probably go with that name.
He believes that someone probably purchased the animal on an impulse, even though it isn’t a good choice for a pet. The Massachusetts wildlife department said it is investigating how the alligator got to the state.
“An alligator isn’t designed to live in a fish tank,” Kenney told the AP. “Really, ideally, it should be living out in the swamp in the southern United States. And they can get pretty big. So even though this guy is still little, by the time he’s somewhere around 10, 15 years old, he’ll be an adult alligator.”
