CHICAGO _ The alligator that eluded authorities for a week in Chicago's Humboldt Park lagoon was caught overnight and will be featured at a news conference to be held later Tuesday morning, according to Chicago officials.
City animal control officials said the capture was "safe and humane" but gave no other details. They have scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. at the West Side park. "The alligator will be in attendance," they said in a statement.
"The Humboldt Park alligator has captured the imaginations of the entire city of Chicago and beyond and has united residents who have been following this story for the last week," Chicago Animal Care and Control said in a release. "Officials will inform residents about the plan that led to his successful capture and the next steps for him."
On Sunday, animal control officials closed the eastern half of the park and hired an alligator expert from Florida as the search entered its second week. The closures, which included streets near the park, were done on the advice of the expert, Frank Robb, to make the area around the lagoon quiet and free from distractions, according to CACC.
Robb, who owns Crocodilian Specialist Services in St. Augustine, Fla., "immediately began assessing the park and lagoon," according to animal control officials.
At a news conference on Monday afternoon, Chicago police asked people to stay away from the lagoon and keep noise to a minimum.
Authorities were called to the lagoon last Tuesday when several people spotted the reptile, spurring a wave of social media and turning the alligator a national sensation. The reptile is believed to be a 4- to 5-foot-long American Alligator indigenous to southern states.
"Alligator Bob," a volunteer with the Chicago Herpetological Society, initially led efforts to capture the alligator.
As the search continued, businesses tried to capitalize on the phenomenon and locals frequently visited the park to watch and celebrate the gator.
