The baby alligator found along the Charles River in Boston is recovering after being rescued Wednesday night.
Boston’s unlikely alligator got a checkup at the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth Thursday, with NBC10 Boston tagging along. The creature had its eyes and mouth checked, among other tests.
Veterinarians determined the animal may have a parasite and a respiratory infection after being found in the very cold waters of the river.
“If this guy went much longer in the wild, it would have died for sure,” said Dr. Greg Mertz, the chief medical director at the New England Wildlife Center.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
A baby alligator getting a checkup after being found in the Charles River in Boston late Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025.
The American alligator, suspected to be three years old, was spotted by a runner on Tuesday, then rescued by animal educator Joe Kenney. He went to look for the animal after an interview with NBC 10 Boston Wednesday night and found it within 15 minutes.
After we spoke with Joseph Kenney, owner of Joe’s Crazzy Critters, about a baby alligator sighting, he went to the location where he was seen and rescued him from the cold Boston-area waters.
“It was sitting down on the bottom of the pond, maybe three feet from the edge of the wall in about 18 inches of water,” Kenney said, adding he “was able to scoop it up pretty easily.”
He kept it overnight and brought it to the wildlife center.
“It actually ate for the first time today. It ate a little bit of tilapia, and it seems to be living a normal alligator life, bouncing back pretty quickly,” Kenney said.
The little guy was likely someone’s pet, even though it’s illegal to have them in Massachusetts.
“And it was probably got to be a little bit too large, perhaps a little too aggressive,” explained Mertz. “And whoever had it probably released it, thinking they were doing the right thing. But it’s just not.”
Kenney said the responsible thing would have been reaching out to Massachusetts Environmental Police or Mass Wildlife.
This alligator will now recover with Kenney and likely end up in a sanctuary that can support his lifestyle.
“It probably will end up in an educational setting like a museum or a zoo or an educational facility or program,” Mertz said.