Unexpected Alligator Found Swimming in Local NYC Park!

A four-foot alligator was recovered from a lake in New York City’s Prospect Park on February 19, 2023. While New Yorkers often enjoy the native wildlife in one of the city’s most diverse parks, alligators are normally not on the list.

The alligator was in poor condition when captured by Parks Enforcement Control and Urban Park Rangers. The parks department described the reptile as “very lethargic and possibly cold-shocked since it is native to warm, tropical climates.”

The American alligator lives in ten southern U.S. states. Louisiana and Florida are home to the most alligators, where they number in the millions. Texas has an estimated half-million alligators, and Georgia’s numbers are around a quarter-million.

As warm-weather animals, alligators cannot survive in a climate such as New York’s. The high in New York City was 48°F on the day the alligator was captured. That’s a rather balmy February day for New Yorkers, but not for the American alligator. It was the second day in a row with these temperatures, which is why the cold-blooded (ectothermic) reptile appeared to be in shock. The animal was taken to the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation.

The Dangers of Non-Native Animals

Nobody knows for certain how or when this alligator wound up in the lake. Probably somebody illegally released the alligator in the park to get rid of it. Dan Kastanis, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, said, “Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks — domesticated or otherwise.”

He went on to warn of the hazards when introducing non-native animals to the park. He added, “In addition to the potential danger to parkgoers this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality.”

No one was injured in the capture, and the alligator continues to recuperate under the watchful eye of experts at the Bronx Zoo.

Native Park Wildlife

While alligators should never be present in Prospect Park, a delightful array of wildlife inhabits this urban park in Brooklyn.

Park visitors can observe hawks, geese, several species of herons, ducks, and swans, along with other migratory waterfowl. Songbirds and woodpeckers are common, along with Brooklyn’s only remaining population of chipmunks. Largemouth bass, snapping and painted turtles, wood frogs, and salamanders can be observed in and around the park’s waters.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com