THE SENTINEL (Carlisle, Pennsylvania) 20 August 07 Alligator found in North Newton hasn't been claimed yet (Joseph Cress)
An alligator found Thursday in a North Newton Township creek has been turned over to a third-party caregiver and remained unclaimed as of Sunday, state police at Carlisle say.
Trooper John Witkowski declined to reveal where the alligator is being kept but says the reptile must have been in the water a couple of weeks growing fat on a diet of minnows.
A couple walking along the creek happened to spot the alligator instead of the usual turtles and fish.
They called in the sighting around 6 p.m. and Witkowski responded to the 100 block of Doubling Gap Road to find the 18-inch-long black and yellow cayman had made the creek its home.
Fortunately for Witkowski, another passersby happened to have a fish net large enough to capture it.
“We chased it about five feet through the creek before scooping it up in the net,” Witkowski recalled. “It hissed once or twice ... probably out of shock.”
The trooper has no idea whether the alligator found is male or female.
The whole incident took about 20 minutes and the reptile was turned over to a private party trustworthy enough to release the animal to its rightful owner should they ever come forward.
So far, no one has contacted the Carlisle state police and there are no leads in the case, Witkowski said. Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 249-2121.
State Fish and Game Commission spokesman Dan Tredinnick said the fish and boat code prohibits the release of non-native species. The fine for doing so is $100.
Witkowski said the troopers he talked to at the Carlisle station had never answered an exotic animal call. One of the troopers is a 13-year veteran of the service.
Anyone with information on the alligator captured Thursday is asked to call state police at 249-2121.
Alligator found in North Newton hasn't been claimed yet