Crime & Safety

Alligator Captured In Lake Ronkonkoma

Three-foot gator is one of seven of its kind captured on Long Island in a month.

Many of us grew up on the urban legend of alligators living in the New York City sewer system, but perhaps we never imagined they'd be slinking around our ponds in Lake Ronkonkoma. Until now.

Authorities captured a three-foot long alligator at Lily Pond Park on Saturday, according to the Long Island Press, the seventh gator to be corralled on Long Island in the past month.

What's going on? According to the report, the Suffolk SPCA is estimating that people are purchasing these reptiles and then releasing them at some point for whatever reason.

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"Smarten up," said Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross in the report. "Don’t do it, don’t get a pet like this in the first place.”

The American Alligator captured at Lily Pond Park was discovered by a family visiting the park. According to the report, the family spotted the gator waiting on land, but by the time authorities arrived the alligator had slid into the water. A SPCA diver went into the pond and retrieved the animal.

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