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.
Former NFL player Mike Williams passed away at the age of 36.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, including the latest on Hurricane Lee.
An escaped Pennsylvania murderer was captured Wednesday after eluding hundreds of searchers for two weeks by hiding out in wooded areas, breaking into suburban homes for food, fleeing under gunfire with a rifle pilfered from a garage, stealing a vehicle and changing his appearance, authorities said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed support for Russia’s “sacred fight” during a summit with President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Rescue efforts continue in Morocco, days after the region's biggest earthquake in over a century.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather for Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter, Jr. was arrested and charged with assault on his girlfriend.
American researcher Mark Dickey has been freed by rescuers after being stranded deep in a Turkish cave.
Hurricane Lee, still a Category 3 storm with winds of 115 mph, is expected to increase in size but be significantly weaker in the coming days, as it turns north to reach the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Thousands are dead after flooding in Libya's northeast area.
