DAILY NEWS (Longview, Washington) 11 August 07 Animal control officer takes alligator into custody (Barbara LaBoe)
No, Long Beach's Jake the Alligator Man didn't stage a breakout just before today's 75th birthday celebration.
And, no the Alley Gators citizens patrol doesn't have a new mascot.
But a 3-foot long alligator was on the loose in Longview's Highlands neighborhood Thursday night.
Ken Covault didn't know what to think when he looked out into his back yard about 6:30 p.m. Thursday and saw something moving in the grass. It looked like an alligator but "this is Longview, not Louisiana," he said Friday.
Both his girlfriend and the 911 operator was skeptical, but Covault knew what he saw.
"I kept saying 'That ain't no dog and it ain't no cat,'" he chuckled.
Once the police were convinced he wasn't hallucinating they called the Humane Society of Cowlitz County for assistance on the 200 block of 18th Avenue. Animal control officer Tina Sperry said she's seen plenty of unusual animals on the night shift -- but never a gator.
"I've dealt with herons and an owl and racoons and possums, you name it, but this was my first alligator," she said Friday. "It was interesting."
Sperry said she corralled and captured the gator the same as a cat because they were roughly the same size.
"And he was actually surprisingly cooperative until I got ahold of him," she said. "All kinds of kids and people came out to see. The police even stopped by to take a look."
Police dispatch reports listed the case resolved as "One gator in custody."
Sperry later learned the alligator, who is between four and five years old, was the pet of a man who lived nearby. Alligators aren't legal pets in Longview, though, so the animal was seized.
The owner, whom Covault said was quite broken up about losing his pet, was not cited because Sperry determined he didn't realize his pet was illegal.
Anytime you're considering buying an exotic pet Sperry said it's a good idea to check with your local humane society to ensure it's legal.
Friday, the alligator was relocated to a center with the proper exotic pet permits, Sperry said.
So, anyone wanting to get a glimpse of a gator this weekend will have to travel to Long Beach. There, Marsh's Free Museum will celebrate the 75th birthday of Jake, a small mummified creature who appears to be humanlike from the waist up and an alligator the rest of the way. Today's party is from 1 to 3 p.m.
Animal control officer takes alligator into custody