Alligator Found In Southside Riverfront Park
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A family that was fishing along the banks of the Monongahela River spotted something that didn't seem quite right, so they alerted 911.
When Pittsburgh Public Safety responded to the call, they also saw an alligator sunning itself on one of the trails.
Around about 1:15 p.m., Pittsburgh Bureau of Animal Care and Control officers and a conservation officer from the Fish and Boat Commission arrived to catch the three-foot-long, 10 pound alligator.
At first attempt, the alligator hid under a fallen tree so they couldn't use a grabbing device to capture it.
This called for some creativity.
Officers then dug away at the dirt on the ground to create an opening and proceeded to capture the alligator with their hands. They then used a nylon strip to cover the alligator's mouth and placed it in a crate.
It's believed, according to officials, that the alligator was a pet that was released into the wild.
It was slightly overweight, which officers say means it was eating well by the river.
It will stay at Humane Animal Rescue until a shelter is identified.
Alligators are not common to our area and they would not be able to survive the winter.