Alligator Spotted In Middlesex Borough Creek: Police

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH, NJ — There has been a confirmed sighting of an alligator in a Middlesex borough creek, Middlesex Police announced late Friday afternoon on their Facebook account.

"The Middlesex Police Department investigated a report that there was a small alligator in Ambrose Brook, which was confirmed," wrote the police department. "The reptile submerged and has not been seen since."

This is not a prank, stressed Chief of Police Matthew Geist. It was a resident's landscaper who first reported seeing the alligator on Wednesday, he said. That same day, a town DPW worker confirmed that he also saw it. That's when Middlesex Police were sent to the creek.

On Thursday, a police officer confirmed he too saw it. The alligator is estimated to be approximately 3-4 feet in length.

The officer tried to capture the animal Thursday, but "it ducked under the water and swam off," said Chief Geist.

That's when Middlesex Police called in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Conservation Police to capture and relocate the reptile. Middlesex Police said they do not have a photo of the alligator.

"The main thing is we want the public to be aware of this and please call us if they see it," said Chief Geist. "Please do not try to capture the animal yourself and take photos with it on social media, etc. Please call us if you see it."

"It was most likely a pet that someone dumped and it's sad, because this animal is not in its native habitat," said the police chief.

If observed, please contact the Middlesex Police Department immediately at (732) 356-1900 extension 0 or dial 911. DO NOT approach or attempt to capture the animal.

Not the first alligator dumped in a NJ pond or river

Believe it or not, this is not the first sighting of an alligator in a New Jersey pond or creek:

In September of 2018, a man out walking his dog found a two-foot-long baby alligator by Duhernal Lake in Spotswood/Old Bridge. Police think the alligator had been dropped there after someone no longer wanted it as a pet. In that instance, the baby alligator was captured by Old Bridge Police.

A year prior, in May of 2017 a town DWP worker found a caiman in the Secaucus duck pond, which is very popular for as a children's fishing pond. The Secaucus caiman was never found and Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli said many times he doubts it survived New Jersey's harsh winter.

In 2015, as Patch reported, someone dumped an unwanted alligator in the Passaic River. That alligator was much bigger than all the others, anywhere from four to seven feet long, and it was spotted by a man fishing for carp, Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said at the time.

That alligator was captured in Elmwood Park.

Man Walking Dog Finds Alligator In Middlesex County (2018)