Gator discovered swimming in Long Island pond

On Aug. 7, a Long Island birdwatcher noticed one thing actually uncommon: an alligator.

The gator was swimming in a freshwater pond at Cow Meadow Preserve, within the village of Freeport on Long Island. The birdwatcher took a photograph, despatched it to authorities, and remained on website to control the reptile.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law enforcement officials quickly arrived with a canoe. They paddled out to the gator and safely captured it, then transported it to an area wildlife rehabilitator licensed to take care of alligators.

The gator is at the moment dwelling on the rehab facility awaiting everlasting relocation. An investigation is at the moment underway to find the particular person or individuals that launched the animal.

It is illegal in NY to import, possess, or promote any alligator, caiman, or crocodile, components thereof, and merchandise comprised of these animals with out the right DEC permits.

The following studies are excerpted from DEC:

An oil spill of unknown origin polluted a creek within the city of Babylon on Aug. 24, dirtying three mallard geese within the course of. After wrangling the geese with assist from a close-by house owner, an ECO and two staff of Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown washed and fed the oily hen and her two ducklings. The supply of the obvious spill has not but been recognized and the geese stay on the nature middle the place they’ll proceed to obtain remedy till they’re prepared for launch again to the wild.

Someone dumped a big bag of trash in ditch within the city of Arkwright on August 7, however left a receipt from a campground in Ohio that offered ECOs with a reputation. The particular person denied tossing the trash. ECOs additionally discovered a pay stub within the rubbish bag with the person’s title on it from an organization repairing a break wall within the metropolis of Dunkirk, Chautauqua County. ECOs confronted him at a building barge on Lake Erie and issued him three tickets for unlawful dumping.

An injured osprey unable to fly attracted discover by flapping round a Suffolk County marina parking zone on July 30. An ECO captured the chicken and transported it to an area rehabilitator for additional remedy. The osprey is continuous to enhance and can quickly be prepared for launch again into the wild.

A timber rattlesnake slithered onto a porch within the city of Wawarsing on Aug. 12, blocking the house owner from coming into or leaving for concern of getting bitten by the venomous snake. An ECO later discovered the snake underneath the porch, feasting on a rabbit, and relocated the rattler, and its meal, away from the residence.

A ship started sinking in 30 toes of water on the Peconic Bay on Aug. 13. When ECOs arrived the strict was underneath water. They gave the boat captain a life jacket and helped him board their boat. The disabled vessel was pumped out and transported to a close-by marina.

Statewide fishing compliance checks:

• Aug. 1: 19 tickets issued to 9 individuals in Nassau and Suffolk counties for violations together with lack of marine registration, possession of undersized fish, failure to launch with out undue hurt, taking meals fish by internet and not using a license, possession of undersized blue claw crabs, and possession of blue claw crabs in spawn (egg-bearing crabs).
• Aug. 2-3: Five tickets issued to anglers aboard a ship in Port Jefferson for possessing undersized porgy.
• Aug. 11: A Southampton angler acquired two tickets for protecting over the each day restrict of blue crabs (50 per particular person) and undersized blue crabs.
• Aug. 17: An angler utilizing a solid internet on Lake Huntington in Sullivan County was issued three tickets for fishing and not using a freshwater fishing license, taking fish by means apart from angling, and taking undersized fish. All the fish had been nonetheless alive and returned to the lake unhurt.

Interested in becoming an ECO? The first step is taking the entry-level legislation enforcement civil service examination. Qualified candidates can apply online via Sept. 17, 2025. There is not any value as all state examination software charges are waived via December 2027. The examination is scheduled to be held in November.

Steve Featherstone covers the outside. Contact him at [email protected]