Got Him! The Loose NJ Alligator Has Finally Been Safely Captured

The chase is over!

The loose alligator that's been eluding officials in Middlesex County for about two weeks has finally been safely captured!

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On Thursday evening (Sep 7) around 10 pm, officials responded to a call from a witness who saw the gator near Second Avenue in the Possumtown neighborhood of Piscataway, according to NJ.com.

The dispatched police were finally able to apprehend the 4-foot gator by restraining it until it was handed over to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Fish & Wildlife Division. 

Third time's the charm

Previous to getting caught, the alligator evaded capture twice. The first time, it was spotted on Aug 23 at Victor Crowell Park in Middlesex. Officials were unable to catch it by the time they got to the location. The second time, it was spotted the following Saturday in Lake Creighton. Officials tried to shoot it with a firearm, but it immediately submerged and evaded capture once again.

Where did the gator come from?

The answer to this question is still a mystery - no one knows for sure where he/she came from. But the Mayor of Middlesex, John Madden, says they think it was owned illegally by somebody before they let it loose in the wild when it started getting too big to handle. Which is the most likely story since alligators are not native to New Jersey.

A happy ending!

Fortunately, wildlife officials were able to catch the gator without killing it! The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Fish & Wildlife Division will take the gator to a new life at the Cape May County Zoo! The reptile will be part of the zoo's alligator relocation program and kept in an isolated area.

Now if we could just catch Danelo Cavalcante!