Florida Man Captures Infamous Gator, 'Chance The Snapper' In Chicago Park Lagoon
CHICAGO (CBSMiami) - A Florida man has found himself making headlines in Chicago.
Frank Robb, the owner of Crocodilian Specialist Services in St. Augustine, took his talents as an alligator expert to the Windy City, when authorities asked for his help capturing an alligator that had been on the loose at a local park for several days.
On Tuesday morning, Robb got the job done.
Authorities say Robb captured the animal in the Humboldt Park lagoon at around 4 a.m.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the gator was in good health and caught humanely.
WEB EXTRA: Chance The Snapper Captured
The alligator known as, "Chance the Snapper," was first seen on July 9, when pictures of it started showing up online. Since then, #ChancetheSnapper has been trending on Chicago Twitter, with some people creating accounts named after the alligator.
Investigators don't know how or why the 5-foot animal was on the loose in Chicago.
CBS2 Chicago reported that on Sunday, the city had decided to switch up its strategy to capture Chance the Snapper by calling in Robb.
Robb arrived Sunday after another volunteer failed to capture the animal. He assessed the park and lagoon and ordered for the east half of the park be closed to maintain quiet conditions, in hopes that the gator would come out of hiding.
Underwater fencing was also installed over the weekend to limit the gator's range.
Chance the Snapper is expected to get a new home at a zoo or sanctuary, city officials said.