Police 'Solve' Bizarre Alligator Warning Sign Caper

In mid-December residents in the Wheaton, Maryland area were baffled by warning signs that appeared around Pine Lake in Wheaton Regional Park. The official-looking signs advised park visitors to stay clear of the water to avoid brumating alligators under the ice. Brumation is the reptile version of hibernation.

There are no wild alligators in Maryland.

Joke were flying online, chatter intensified, and questions swirled as identical signs were discovered near ponds and streams in Laurel, Gaithersburg, and Rockville. Are there really alligators in Maryland? Were they abandoned pets or, as the sign suggested, had alligators migrated to the Mid-Atlantic due to global warming? And who was responsible for attaching the plastic signs to pre-existing poles and fence posts with zip ties?

The answers were printed on the signs themselves--a QR code leading to a comical article on Montgomery County's satirical news website, The Montgonion. The ridiculous story, which claimed a dog named Quiche was eaten by a Pine Lake alligator, included a picture of a poodle dyed dark green with a strawberry-blond steak, wearing sunglasses, a bonnet, and designer jeans with appliques on them. Astute readers recognized the references to Quiche Lorraine, a song about a dog from the B-52s 1980 album Wild Planet.

The signs were clearly a hoax.

Although The Montgonion hadn't claimed responsibility for placing the alligator warning signs, it had all the markings of Montgonion prank. In October signs announcing the return of Montgomery Donuts appeared at the chain’s former locations, and in September an 8-foot banner announcing a new galleria mall stood in front of the Glenmont Shopping Center for a few days. Both had QR codes linked to farcical and satirical Montgonion parody articles. Rumors that those signs were true were quickly debunked by The MoCo Show (which, ironically, is the real news website The Montgonion appears to parody).

All the alligator hubbub died down by the end of December as signs were removed by local residents and park authorities. Or so it seemed.

In mid-January, nearly a month after the first signs were reported, residents in Takoma Park began chatting in listservs and Facebook groups about an alligator warning sign on the Sligo Creek Trail. Although placed in a conspicuous area, this one had apparently gone unnoticed during January's bitter cold streak and now Takoma Park was buzzing with the same alligator sign mystery that residents in other communities solved back in December. And this time neighbors called the cops.

On January 28 Maryland-National Capital Park Police - Montgomery County posted a picture of The Montgonion alligator sign on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying "We have received reports of the below sign being posted along the Sligo Creek Trail in Takoma Park. The signs were not posted by us, @MontgomeryParks or @MarylandDNR, and appear to be a prank. Alligators are not native to Maryland and there have been no reported sightings."

The bizarre subject of Park Police's X post drew wide attention, with more than 10,000 views and dozens of retweets. That evening, major news outlets like Fox and CBS were reporting that police were seeking to identify who posted the signs and had asked residents to report any information on their tip line.

The next morning, January 29th, two Park Police cruisers arrived unannounced at the home of The Montgonion's publisher, Glenn Fellman, who wasn't there but spoke to an officer by telephone. Police advised Fellman that a permit was required to post anything on park property and gave him a verbal warning. Fellman acknowledged the warning, said he would abide by permitting rules, and declined the officer's offer to return the signs. He says the officer indicated the matter was resolved.

A few hours later Fellman says he was perplexed to learn from a DC News Now phone call that Park Police were telling reporters they had identified a "suspect" and "charges were pending." Indeed, reports to that effect had just been issued by several media outlets. Fellman returned home that evening to find two Park Police cruisers waiting for him.

Officers gave Fellman a $50 civil citation for "posting notices on park property without a permit." The officers told him after further consideration, and pressure from the media and public, police leaders decided that a verbal warning wasn't enough.

A civil citation in Maryland is a written notice that a person has broken a civil law. They are given for minor violations, like a traffic ticket, and only impose a fine.

News of the hunt for a suspect and the subsequent citation drew consistently sharp criticism of police on social media, including a score of comments on a MoCo Show Facebook post.

"Lighten up and enjoy the levity. Chase criminals, there's no shortage of real crimes happening daily. Anyone who actually believed that should be charged with 'Felony Stupidity'. Move on. Take the sign down, tell him not to do it again and have a chuckle. Jeez," wrote user Jeanne from Germantown. Her sentiments were echoed by many, with #FreeGatorDude briefly trending.

While The Montgonion has assured its future compliance with park permitting requirements, the satire site isn’t done milking the joke. A statement disavowing future park sign installations appears at the end of a new article titled "Managed Alligator Sign Suspect Hunt Opens Today." The accompanying graphic shows a sharpshooter scope taking aim at a Montgonion alligator warning sign.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by a Montgonion fan has a goal of raising $50 to cover the citation fee. The Montgonion says any extra money will be donated to the Montgomery County Humane Society, "to defray the cost of finding foster homes for feral alligators."