MORNING CALL (Allentown, Pennsylvania) 13 January 04 City worker finds alligator frozen at Penn Forest reservoir - Bethlehem Authority director surmises reptile was once a pet. (Nicole Radzievich)
A Bethlehem Authority water maintenance worker discovered 4-foot-long alligator Monday frozen in a creek about 100 yards from a city reservoir in the Poconos.
The dead reptile looked as though it had been trying to crawl out of the cold creek, which feeds into the Penn Forest reservoir, when it died half in, half out of the water, authorities said.
''It looks frozen in time,'' said Daniel Meixell, an authority forest ranger. ''We saw scratch marks on the bank, leading us to believe it had been living in this area for a little while. It looked like it was in good shape.''
The discovery was made around 11 a.m. when a city employee was walking the reservoir perimeter. Meixell was notified, and the alligator was taken to a maintenance shed until the state Fish and Boat Commission could be called.
''You just don't think this would happen in a reservoir,'' said Steve Salvesen, the authority's executive director.
The reservoir, which is covered by a sheet of ice, is part of a 23,000-acre watershed that straddles Monroe and Carbon counties. Environmentalists say the watershed is noteworthy for its rare flora and fauna.
But Salvesen said he never expected an alligator to emerge. He theorized that the alligator could have been a pet that had gotten too big to keep, and the warm summer could have given it ample time to grow.
Several alligators have been found throughout the Lehigh Valley in recent years. In summer 2002, authorities caught three alligators and received reports of a fourth in Lower Macungie Township. Three of the animals captured had breeders' tags, suggesting they were bought at pet stores.
Wildlife experts have said alligators thrive in warm, tropical climates. When the temperature dips below 80 degrees, alligators begin to lose their appetite. They stop feeding when it gets colder than 73 degrees.
Some experts say alligators can get through the winter on their energy reserves. In their native habitat, they burrow for shelter and hibernate when temperatures fall.
City worker finds alligator frozen