A stray alligator found wandering Manhattan streets has died, according to a statement from animal control officials of New York City.
The New York Police Department’s 34th precinct found the 3ft-long alligator in the Inwood neighborhood of upper Manhattan on Thursday and took it to the animal care center. On Twitter, police posted a photo of the alligator, saying, “So this alligator was crossing 9th Ave in Inwood...no, really.”
The alligator, which staff at Animal Care and Control had named CockadoodleQ, died this morning.
“We have no knowledge of the conditions of CockadoodleQ had lived in prior to his arrival that contributed to his death. Exotic animals such as alligators are illegal to have as pets in New York City,” Alexandra Silver, a spokesperson for Animal Care and Control, said in an email.
Upon the alligator’s arrival at the care center, staff removed the duct tape that had been placed along its snout, and housed it in an “aquarium type setting with a small shallow pool of water along with a supplemental heat element”.
Wildlife on the loose in New York is often surprising to residents, but the capture of CockadoodleQ is not the first time police have dealt with roaming animals. In April, police captured a coyote in lower Manhattan. And on July 21, an alligator and nine boa constrictors were rescued from a Brooklyn man’s apartment.
