Alligator found in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park

The alligator was in poor condition and possibly in shock from the cold. Photograph: courtesy NYC Parks

In an unusual scene for this part of the country, a 4ft-long alligator was rescued from the famed Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn on Sunday.

The itinerant crocodilian – most likely an unwanted pet – was in poor condition and described as sluggish by park officials, the local news station PIX11 reported. Authorities said the lethargic alligator might have been shocked by the cold.