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Whales aren't the only animals that are washing ashore in New York. This past weekend, in fact, New York City's Parks and Recreation department caught a pretty big alligator inside of Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
The four-foot-long reptile was specifically found by a lake near Duck Island, by the south east side of the park.
Aptly nicknamed Godzilla, the alligator was found around 8:30am on Sunday morning and officials quickly took it to Animal Care Centers of NYC before moving it to the Bronx Zoo for medical treatment and rehabilitation—much-needed help considering that the large crocodile appeared lethargic and cold-shocked (the species is not meant to live in temperatures as cold as New York's this past weekend).
"We’re grateful to our Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers who snapped into action to capture and transport the alligator," a spokesperson for NYC Parks said in a statement.
No word yet on whether the croc will live at the Bronx Zoo or elsewhere.
Perhaps even odder than the discovery of the reptile is the fact that city officials believe that Godzilla was likely dumped nearby by someone as an unwanted pet. Raise your hand if you have always dreamed of having a giant alligator as a roommate.
Unsurprisingly, it is absolutely illegal to release animals in the wild, so the police have already launched an investigation to try and find out how exactly Godzilla made it to Prospect Park.
"Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks—domesticated or otherwise," explained the spokesperson. "In addition to the potential danger to park goers this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality."
The good news is that the animal did not harm anyone before being caught.