Firefighter Wrangles Alligator In Delaware County Creek
PROSPECT PARK, Pa. (CBS) — An alligator found in a creek in Delaware County has been wrangled.
Delaware County officials reported to calls about an alligator at approximately 8:30 a.m.
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The incident occurred on the 400 block of Nassau Boulevard in Prospect Park.
"We deal with snakes and other things but we know that, but a gator is unheard of here," said Mary Bosch.
The three-foot gator was pulled out the creek, not too far from Mary Bosch's home.
"It was a little nerve-racking, because we have little dogs and we do swim in the creek, and there's little kids that go up in here," Bosch added.
The sharp-toothed reptile was first spotted Sunday morning by Bosch's neighbor Tracie Hoffecker who sprung into action.
"I was shaking! Like 'oh my god there's an alligator in my backyard!' I couldn't believe it," said Hoffecker.
Hoffecker actually happened to capture the moment she was at the creek in her backyard and saw the gator.
She was recording a turtle in the water, as she was admiring the turtle she spotted the gator.
Hoffecker immeasurably made a call to her cousin, a Philadelphia firefighter and got him to go in the water and safely get the gator out.
Once the gators was caught, it turns out he wasn't that scary up close.
"Everyone in the neighborhood has been here to see alligator and it's awesome," said Hoffecker.
After three hours of being admired by neighbors, the gator was picked up by Slimy, Scaly, Taily, Reptile Rescue.
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"This little guy is going to be going down to Delaware Maryland aquarium and he will have a new home with plenty of other alligators he can play with," said Matt Snider with the rescue group.
It's not known for sure how the gator got into the creek, but the rescue crew thinks he was someone's pet and was dumped in the water.
Its actually not illegal to own a gator in Pennsylvania.
Once caught, they put the gator into a plastic storage bin while they contacted an agency that would take it.