It’s no urban legend: An alligator was found in a chilly New York City lake on Sunday, far from the subtropical and tropical climates where such creatures thrive.
The 4-foot (1.2-meter) reptile was pulled from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn around 8:30 a.m. and taken to an animal care center and then the Bronx Zoo for medical treatment and rehabilitation.
City officials said the gator appeared lethargic and possibly cold-shocked. It was likely dumped as an unwanted pet, they said. Releasing animals in city parks is illegal. Police are investigating.
For years, New Yorkers have pondered the myth that alligators roam the city’s sewer system, even celebrating Alligators in the Sewers Day as an unofficial February holiday.
Sightings like Sunday’s help keep the urban legend alive, but experts throw cold water on the sewer theory. Alligators aren’t suited to the sewer system's frigid, toxic environment, they say.
Rex Heuermann, the man charged in the so-called Gilgo Beach murders, is now being investigated by other police departments across the country.
The heat wave continues to break records across the country with Phoenix recording 19 straight days of over 110 degrees as the southwestern cities are also coming close to records as well. Iran recorded a heat index of 152 degrees on Sunday with high temperatures affecting a big portion of the planet.
High-water rescue crews pulled people from flooded homes and vehicles Wednesday in Kentucky, where waves of thunderstorms prompted flash flood warnings and watches. A search continued for two children swept away after torrential rains in the northeastern United States.
Finding the most interesting animal in the Bronx Zoo is one tall order. Cheddar News Senior Reporter Michelle Castillo is hanging out with some of the zoo's biggest stars to find out more about their conservation efforts.
A former unidentified member of the Northwestern University football team filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging former coach Pat Fitzgerald enabled a "culture of racism."
John Gidding, designer and host of HGTV's Curb Appeal: The Block, joins Cheddar News to provide some advice on how to avoid turning your home into a money pit.
Social media influencer Andrew Tate will remain under house arrest, according to a ruling in Romania.
A U.S. national is being held in North Korea after crossing its closely-guarded border with South Korea.
Officials warned residents and tourists packing Mediterranean destinations on Tuesday to stay indoors during the hottest hours as the second heat wave in as many weeks hits the region and Greece, Spain and Switzerland battled wildfires.
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