BOSTON (AP) \u2014 It wasn\u2019t a croc \u2014 there really was an alligator on the loose in Boston.<\/p>\n
And the story of the city\u2019s slithering saurian appears to have a happy ending. The small alligator, spotted along the Charles River in Boston multiple times this week, has been rescued and delivered to safety, wildlife officials in Massachusetts said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The approximately foot-long crocodilian startled a few people and became an instant star on social media after confused onlookers took videos of it slithering away from sight. But the animal is not native to Massachusetts, and couldn\u2019t possibly survive the harsh New England winter, so the search for the wayward gator was on.<\/p>\n
A local wildlife educator captured the critter on Wednesday night, and it\u2019s now awaiting a permanent home, officials said.<\/p>\n
Harvard University graduate student Whitney Lieberman was among the residents who caught a glimpse of the exotic visitor. She said she notified wildlife authorities when she saw the creature while she was jogging to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I did a double-take. For a second, I had to check myself \u2014 alligators are not native to Boston waterways, right?\u201d Lieberman said. \u201cI texted my co-workers because I had a morning meeting: \u2018Hey guys, this is a good excuse to be late for work. There is an alligator right in front of me and I don\u2019t know what to do.’\u201d<\/p>\n
The animal was in jeopardy due to the chilly temperatures on the Charles, which was 51 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on Thursday. Alligators prefer temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). They are cold-blooded and can\u2019t regulate their own temperature, so they enter a dormant, energy-saving state called brumation<\/a> to survive colder temperatures.<\/p>\n
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