A Loveland natural area is closed until further notice while officials figure out how to deal with a large reptile that appears to be lurking in one of the area’s ponds.
Jayhawker Ponds, a popular fishing area near the southeast corner of West First Street and Taft Avenue, was closed after a Larimer Humane Society animal control officer spotted what appeared to be an alligator in the water, said Larry Callihan, park manager for the city of Loveland.
The animal appeared to be 5 to 7 feet long with a girth of 18 inches, Callihan said. It reportedly acted “very aggressively” toward a couple of boys who were on a fishing dock Wednesday night.
City and humane society officials are working on a plan to capture the animal, Callihan said. Officials are consulting with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and operators of Colorado Gators, an alligator farm near Alamosa, on how to find and capture the animal.
Officials believe the animal is a caiman or alligator that was released by its owner after it grew too large, said Sgt. Rae Bontz of Loveland police.
Signs announcing the closure were posted Thursday. So far the public is complying with the order, Bontz said.
“As long as people stay away no one is in any danger,” he said.
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