Woman spots alligator on afternoon walk

South Windsor (WTNH) - An woman made an 'wild' discovery on her afternoon stroll when she spotted an alligator in a nearby marsh.

Edith Vibert, 35, was walking on a private, historic road when she saw the animal. "When you got closer, he would turn and cock his head open and you could see his teeth," she said. "And, I decided it'd be better to call some people to take him out."

The alligator was captured on Vibert Road near a sewer treatment plant. It's an American Alligator, approximately 3-years-old and is about 3.5 feet in length.

South Windsor Police requested assistance from the Department of Environmental Protection Conservation officers to assist in capturing the alligator.

"Our officers just cornered off the area and let the conservation officers do their thing," said Sgt. Scott Custer, of the South Windsor Police Department. "They used a sneer, and wrapped the mouth so he couldn't bite anybody; then they secured the animal and drove it here and assisted our officers in getting it into a large, secure dog crate."

The D.E.P. officers said it is illegal to own this particular type of exotic pet and it's likely that someone abandoned the animal within the last 24 hours.

Currently, the alligator is being housed at SWPD headquarters and will be turned over to an approved DEP contractor on Monday.