In which the blogger vows to never, ever, under any circumstance, swim in the river

Alligator found in Chicago River
June 20, 2008

FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS
An alligator was found in the Chicago River on the South Side Friday afternoon, police said.
The alligator, which is about 5 1/2 to 6 feet long, was found near 37th Street and the Chicago River about 2:15 p.m. by a citizen who called police, according to police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.

The city’s department of Animal Care & Control, 2741 S. Western Ave., took the alligator, which was alive, and no injuries were reported, Mirabelli said.

Animal Care & Control spokesman Mark Rosenthal said they responded about 1:30 p.m. to 1200 W. 37th Street after a worker, possibly from Midland Steel, contacted them when they saw the reptile in the water, near the river’s bank.

“The suspicion is that it’s someone’s pet that was released at some point in time and obviously, was able to survive and did quite well,’’ Rosenthal said.

The alligator has teeth, but is not an adult. It is about 4 or 5-years-old and is about 4 feet long. They eat fish are unpredictable around humans. The alligator was found in an area called Bubbly Creek where large carp were also swimming nearby.

“We had great assistance from a member of the Chicago Herpetological Society, the group that studies reptiles,” he said.

One member of the society was able to use a noose-type rope and was able to “snag’’ it and safely bring it in, Rosenthal said. The society is in charge of finding a proper home for the alligator.

“It’s an exotic animal that should not be swimming around the river,’’ according to Rosenthal, who said no one was hurt in the incident or capture.