BARABOO NEWS-REPUBLIC (Wisconsin) 15 October 05 Authorities shoot sunbathing alligator (Jennifer Woldt)
Theresa, Wis.: A decision to soak up the afternoon rays left an alligator stone cold.
On Thursday, officers from the Theresa Police Department shot and killed a two-foot alligator which was lying on the bank of the Rock River near Milwaukee Street.
A citizen alerted Police Chief Michael Simmons and Officer Eric Rasmussen that she had seen an alligator at 2:35 p.m. Thursday. When Simmons and Rasmussen arrived, they saw the alligator sunning itself on some rocks near the river.
After consulting with Department of Natural Resources Warden John Christian, Simmons determined the animal must not be allowed to re-enter the river because of safety concerns.
"Based on the immediate concern of it returning into the adjacent river and a future threat to children or pets in the area, there was a need for its immediate capture and/or disposal," Simmons wrote in the report.
Christian said alligators are not a protected species and the DNR would not attempt a capture.
After alerting neighbors and establishing a safety zone, Simmons shot the alligator with a 12-gauge Remington shotgun from 35 feet away.
Authorities are not sure where the gator came from, but believe it might be a case of an exotic pet becoming difficult to care for.
"This is just an irresponsible pet owner letting this thing go in the river," said Christian.
Alligators are not native to Wisconsin, and Christian said the animal would not be able to handle Wisconsin's cold winters. He said once temperatures dip below freezing, the alligator would die.
"That's probably why he was sunning himself," said Christian, who noted that water temperatures are in the 50s. "If this thing hangs around, it's destined to freeze."
Authorities shoot sunbathing alligator