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Sighting of alligator swimming off shore of Lake Erie prompts search in Pennsylvania
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Sighting of alligator swimming off shore of Lake Erie prompts search in Pennsylvania

ERIE, Pa. — A search is underway for a small alligator in Erie, Pennsylvania, after it was caught on video last weekend swimming near the shore of Lake Erie.

The first sighting occurred on Sunday, according to the Erie Times-News, and animal rescue specialists have been scouring the area ever since. There have been reports of possible tracks and other sightings this week.

It’s unclear how the alligator ended up in the freshwater lake, but officials suspect it may have been a pet.

“We are aware of it,” Mike Parker, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said Thursday. “If in the course of other duties one of our officers were to see the alligator, they could get involved. But we don’t have anyone actively looking for it.”

Parker said releasing an alligator, a non-native species, into the wild is a violation of Pennsylvania law. His agency sometimes investigates how such animals end up being released.

“In many cases, the animal was released, usually by an owner who no longer wanted it, could no longer afford it or could not cope with its size,” Parker said.

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