NEW YORK (AP) - A New York City couple captured a 3-foot (1-meter) alligator in their local park and taped its mouth before calling police to pick the animal up.
Authorities believe the gator was an illegally owned pet that escaped.
The New York Post reports that Staten Island resident Don Walters spotted the alligator in a park near his home on Tuesday.
Walters had lived in Florida so he was familiar with alligators. He told the Post he threw bait at the reptile, then held its head while his wife, Kim Walters, taped its mouth shut.
The couple called 911 and police arrived and took the alligator to an animal care facility.
The alligator’s capture comes days after a Long Island family spotted a baby alligator in their backyard pool.
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