Pittsburgh Police, Animal Control Corral Wayward, Angry Gator In Beechview
BEECHVIEW (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Police and animal control officers were called to the city's Beechview neighborhood late Thursday night to subdue an alligator on the loose.
The gator appeared to been five-feet long.
Officials say it was first spotted on Rutherford and Sebring Avenues around 10 p.m.
"A gentleman was walking his dog down Sebring Street towards Rutherford when he comes across a large alligator walking around," said Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. Mike Pilyih.
Police and animal control officers cornered it against the side of a garage and used a pole and duct tape to keep its mouth shut.
Police say it could've potentially been a dangerous situation.
"It's dark out, you can't see what's in the bushes right next to you. If you would've had someone coming down the street, heard some bushes rustling, they would've looked, thought it was a little cat or a dog and been surprised," said Cmdr. Pilyih. "An animal like that, I would think would not tend to be friendly with human beings."
The alligator was taken to animal control, but it is not clear what will happen to it now.
Neighbors like Janice Vanucci were bewildered as to how the gator ended up in their area. "I can't believe that, how did it get here?" she asked.
Police believe he may have been someone's pet.
"We don't know where he came from," explained Pilyih. "Most likely he was a pet here that someone got when he was very small and they didn't realize he wasn't going to stay very small."
This is the second time in a few weeks an alligator has been found in Pittsburgh. One was pulled from the Monongahela River near the South Side Riverfront Park.