Officials looking to trap alligator spotted in Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago

The gator will be relocated to a zoo for a veterinary evaluation, police said.

July 10, 2019, 11:53 AM

It's not your average morning in Humboldt Park in Chicago today -- officials are trying to trap an alligator spotted in the lagoon there.

The reptile is between 4 and 5 feet long, specialists said, according to Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

PHOTO: An alligator swims in Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago.
An alligator swims in Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago.
Ren Horst-Ruiz at Ren's View Photography

Authorities are hoping for the animal to be "humanely trapped" and taken to a zoo for a veterinary evaluation, police said.

When sightings of the gator came in on Tuesday, Guglielmi called it an "unusual news day."

The public is urged to let the experts do their job and give them space, Chicago police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said on Wednesday.

PHOTO: Officials looking to trap alligator spotted in Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago.
Officials looking to trap alligator spotted in Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago.
WLS

It's not clear how the gator ended up in the lagoon but it was likely a pet that got released, according to ABC Chicago station WLS.

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