Less than a month after an alligator was pulled out of the Kiski River, authorities in New Jersey are searching waterways there after confirmed reports of an alligator of their own.
Police in Middlesex, about 40 miles southwest of New York City, reported Monday that an officer shot at the reptile, which immediately went underwater. It was unclear if the creature was hit.
A community park has been closed to the public for at least 72 hours, or until the reptile is deemed to no longer be a threat, police said on social media. The animal, estimated to be 3 to 4 feet long, has been seen in a lake and stream in a densely populated area.
Residents shared photos of the gator with news outlets, and drones were being used to search for it. Police said the reptile was spotted in an area Monday where water accessibility issues made capture unfeasible. It was unclear how the alligator, which is not native to New Jersey and is illegal to possess there, got in the water.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was working with police to corral the creature, according to news outlets.
A similar search-and-rescue effort played out near Apollo over about a week in late July and early August after reported sightings of an alligator living in the Kiski River. The gator, nicknamed “Chomper” by the search team, was rescued by two kayakers on Aug. 6.
It was taken to a reptile rescue in Pittsburgh.
