The alligator — nicknamed Godzilla.Photo: Bronx Zoo
The 4-foot-long alligatorpulled from a lake in Brooklyn’s Prospect Parkon Sunday is “too weak and unresponsive to eat on its own.”
An X-ray taken during a medical evaluation at the zoo showed the animal, estimated to be between 5 and 6 years old, had ingested a four-inch wide bathtub stopper before her rescue.
“The alligator is currently in too weakened a condition to attempt removal of the stopper,” the statement from the zoo said. “We will continue to provide supportive care for her and determine next steps based on how she responds to treatment.”
The alligator — nicknamed Godzilla — is being tube-fed and treated with fluids, vitamin B, antibiotics, and antifungal medication.
The aliigator had swallowed a four-inch wide bathtub stopper.Bronx Zoo
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“An alligator of this size should typically weigh between 30-35 pounds,” the Bronx Zoo added.
A New York City Parks Department maintenance worker spotted the alligator in Prospect Park Lake on Sunday morning. After learning about the sighting, members of the Parks Enforcement Patrol and the Urban Park Rangers pulled the alligator out of the water, according to a Parks Department spokesman.
Godzilla was “very lethargic” when she was found and was “in poor condition,” according to a Department of Parks & Recreation statement.
“Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks-domesticated or otherwise,” a spokesperson for the department said. “In addition to the potential danger to park goers this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality.”
The gator’s rescuers brought Godzilla to the Animal Care Centers of New York City facility in Brooklyn, which later took the animal to the Bronx Zoo.
Officials presume someone abandoned the alligator after trying to keep it as a pet, which is illegal in New York City.
The Bronx Zoo added, “The tragedy of this situation is a reminder that wild animals do not make good pets and that responsible pet ownership means making choices that will not negatively impact an individual animal or the environment.”
Godzilla marks the sixth alligator found in N.Y.C. reported to the Animal Care Centers since 2018.
source: people.com
