What’s an alligator doing in Wisconsin? Kids spotted one in a lake, officials say
An alligator in Wisconsin? Apparently so.
Kids playing near a lake in northeastern Wisconsin spotted something in the water, Fox11 reported. When wildlife officials arrived, they netted a small American alligator.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources took the nearly two-foot alligator to a temporary home at the J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue in Menasha, the rescue agency posted on Facebook.
American alligators live in the wild in the southern U.S., from North Carolina to the Rio Grande.
John Moyles of J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue told Fox11 that the alligator either escaped from his owner while being kept in an outdoor habitat or the owner released the alligator into the wild.
“While (alligators) make great pets, they don’t make great pets for everyone,” Moyles told FDL Reporter.
The rescue center will keep the alligator for a week, they said in the post. If no one claims him, they will try to move him to a wildlife sanctuary.
Officials found the alligator in Long Lake, about 120 miles north of Green Bay, on July 1. The alligator arrived at the rescue center on July 6, the rescue center said on Facebook.
This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 1:48 PM with the headline "What’s an alligator doing in Wisconsin? Kids spotted one in a lake, officials say."
