Alligator Found In Jersey Shore Town In Freezing Temps Sunday

NEPTUNE TWP., NJ — A juvenile alligator was discovered late Sunday evening abandoned in a plastic container in an empty lot in Neptune Township, according to the Monmouth County SPCA .

A Good Samaritan, Angel Rosario, spotted a storage container on an empty lot next to his home on Bangs Avenue. He called 911 and Monmouth County SPCA Animal Control was dispatched.

Upon investigation, it was confirmed that a 3-foot-long juvenile alligator was left in a plastic tub, on an evening when the temperature dipped below freezing.

The young alligator was brought back to the shelter and given a clean tank that allowed proper air circulation and is being kept in a climate-controlled area.

The alligator will be transferred to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife shortly, said a spokeswoman for the SPCA.

The MCSPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division is seeking any information about who may have abandoned the gator.

If you have any information about the owner of this alligator, please contact MCSPCA Humane Law Enforcement Chief Mike Goldfarb at 732-440-1539. Calls may remain anonymous.

“It is illegal for New Jersey residents to keep alligators or caimans, which are considered potentially dangerous exotic species. Not only is it a danger to the public, but these animals, when kept in captivity, need very specific care that only professionals can provide," said Monmouth County SPCA director Ross Licitra.