The baby alligator that roamed the greens of Scottsdale's McCormick Ranch Golf Cub for almost a week was caught Thursday after the pond where it lived was drained. "He was hiding in the grass on the edge of the pond where it was shady," said Daniel Marchand curator of the Phoenix Herpetological Society.
"When the water was drained down, he was forced to come out."
A volunteer from the Herpetological Society spotted the 35-inch American Alligator making a break for the remaining water and caught him.
Although it was originally thought to be only 16 to 18 inches long, closer inspection showed he was much bigger.
Since Saturday, when the alligator was first spotted by a golfer, there had been more than a dozen sightings on the grass or in the large ponds of the golf course at 7505 E. McCormick Parkway.
The gator, nicknamed "McCormick," was in healthy condition. It will remain at the group's reptile refuge in north Scottsdale until placed into a zoo or accredited facility.
Although the reptile hadn't caused any problems on the course, it could have been a danger to golfers.
"He's got very functional teeth that are very sharp," said Marchand. "They're basically like a mouth full of box cutters."
Debbie Gibson of the herpetological society speculated that the gator was most likely released into the pond by someone who owned him illegally.
"Somebody probably figured out that they weren't supposed to have it," she said. "And instead of turning it in, they released it in one of the ponds."
An alligator can grown to between 12 to 14 feet in length, she said.
The group rescues about one to three crocodilians a month.
"This is more common than you think," Marchand said. "It will only be a matter of time before we're doing this again."
To report a gator sighting:
www.phoenixherp.com or (602) 550-1090.
Link
Hybrid Mode
