Alligators roaming the sewers? It’s not an urban legend in South Windsor, where a woman discovered one wandering on Vibert Road, near the sewer treatment plant.
Sunday afternoon, the woman found the American Alligator, which is about 3-years-old and 3.5 feet long. Typically, this type of alligator can grow up to 14 feet and weigh 800 pounds.
DEP officials believe that the gator had been a pet that was abandoned by its owners within the last 24 hours.
The woman notified South Windsor Police who then contacted the Department of Environmental Protection's Conservation Police.
DEP officers corralled the animal into a dog crate, where it stayed overnight.
Connecticut State law prohibits people from owning these alligators, so DEP officials believe that the alligator’s owners might have released it in fear of being prosecuted.
The alligator was kept at the South Windsor Police Department and Monday was turned over Monday to Rainforest Reptiles, a Massachusetts-based organization that works to educate people on reptiles and the importance of preserving their habitats.
Anyone with information about the alligator is encouraged to contact the South Windsor Police Department at 860-644-2551.
