Gator in New Jersey river is captured

First there were Portuguese Man-O-Wars at the Jersey Shore.

Now this.

Wildlife officials in New Jersey pulled a four-foot long alligator out of the Passaic River near Elmwood Park in Bergen County, according to television news reports.

NBC New York captured the action from above. The station says a fisherman spotted it first. He thought it was a snapping turtle, until he noticed the tail.

Authorities tracked the gator for two hours before cornering it and pulling it out of the water with a catch pole.

Wildlife officials tell the station that the alligator was likely someone’s pet.

Alligators are illegal to keep as pets in New Jersey. Elmwood Park is approximately 20 miles away from New York City.