By Jerry Burke
"It's not everyday you see something like this," said Supervisor Rich Guardino, who immediately went out to the Animal Shelter in Wantagh to see first-hand the captured reptile. "I'm pleased to see how well-trained and calm our control officers are situations like this."
The odd capture started on April 1. Construction workers going about their jobs by the former Velvet Lounge on Dogwood Avenue saw the cute little meat-eater and immediately call the 5th Squad. Officers came to the scene and decided to call in Animal Control.
Control Officer Guy Bove came down to the scene to scoop-up the beast and brought it back to the Town's Animal Shelter.
"It's hard to determine how exactly it got there," said an Animal Control spokesman. "Chances are it was a pet that either escaped or was released." While the tiny alligator was only in its infancy, officials said the creature could still pack a nasty bite.
Once the alligator was brought to the shelter, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife were contacted to make sure the alligator was a member of an endangered species.
When they determined it wasn't, officers brought the little gator to the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery for a few days before they could find a permanent home. "It was exciting to have him found here in the Town, but we were anxious to find it a home where it could be properly cared for," said Guardino.
A few day later, the alligator was brought to the Bronx Zoo. "Since we never had a creature such as this in own area, it was in the reptile's best interest to bring it to a facility that was better equipped to allow it to grow," said Guardino.
Grow it will. According to encyclopedia.com, the male American alligator, Alligator mississipiensis, commonly reaches a length of 9 ft (2.7 m) and a weight of 250 pounds. They are found in swamps and sluggish streams from North Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf Coast.
