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2-Foot-Long Alligator Found Hiding Under Car In Queens

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ AP) -- The old urban legend about alligators living in the sewers of New York City gained some cred Sunday after a 2-foot-long alligator was spotted under a car in Queens. 

The alligator was discovered around 3 p.m. on Newtown Avenue and 29th Street in Astoria. Animal Care and Control experts aren't sure how the alligator got there. 

Spokesman Richard Gentles says the alligator would likely go to a licensed rehabilitator or reptile sanctuary. 

"He is in pretty good health and just seems to be taking it all in," Gentles told 1010 WINS. "He'll be kept in a quiet place so he's not stressed out."

He says the agency rescues two to four alligators, crocodiles or caimans in the city every year. 

In 2006, authorities captured a 15-inch alligator at an apartment complex in Brooklyn. And in 2001, a 2-foot-long caiman was found living in a lake in Central Park. 

It is illegal to keep them in New York City homes. 

(TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

  

 

 

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