A slippery alligator that eluded police and animal control workers earlier this week was finally captured Friday morning in a trap.
The 2 ½ foot gator was found in the trap at around 5 a.m.
Someone called 911 to report saying they saw a baby alligator in the water at around 11:30 a.m. near 3400 Rockwell Avenue, Chicago Police News Affairs said. A viewer emailed NBC Chicago around the same to report the rumor, but hadn’t seen the creature.
Police and animal control officers tried catching the gator but it evaded their grasp.
Experts say it’s likely someone's pet.
"Rather than turn them in, they just dump them in the river thinking this is the best thing for them," said Bob, a CHS spokeman who declined to give his last name.
"The problem is now you see the headache we have to do to try and get it. If some little fisherman tried to catch it or something, a kid could get his hand bit off very easily."
Local
This isn’t the first time a gator has been spotted in the Chicago River. Last year around the same time, a small alligator was spotted sunning itself along the banks of the river and animal control officers managed to catch him.
It's illegal to own an alligator in Illinois.
