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Alligator spotted in Rhode Island river

Animal welfare officials say the alligator is probably a pet that was abandoned.
This baby alligator in the Woonasquatucket River.
This baby alligator in the Woonasquatucket River.David Everett
/ Source: WJAR-TV

A baby alligator, caught on camera, relaxing by the water's edge.

But this isn't Florida, it's Providence.

"All of a sudden I said, that snout and those eyes are a little alligator," said Dave Everett, who spotted the alligator.

Everett said his co-worker first spotted the baby alligator last week while they were working just off Atwells Avenue on the Woonasquatucket River.

He estimated the "woon-a-gator" is about 3 feet long.

"Because it's the Woonasquatucket and it's an alligator," Everett said.

Everett returned two days later to snap more photos of the alligator, and he found it was still in the same area.

"He was on the bank over here and I got a really good look, and that's when I got all the photographs," Everett said.

Dr. E.J. Finocchio, president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the alligator was probably an exotic pet someone abandoned, which he said is something that happens all too often.

The SPCA confiscated another alligator from an apartment in Providence on Wednesday. Finocchio said many people buy exotic reptiles without realizing what they're getting into.

"When they're 5 or 6 inches long, they're cute, maybe. But that 5 or 6 inches can grow into 5 or 6 feet and now you have a problem on your hands. What do I do with my 4-foot alligator?" Finocchio said. "These animals should not be allowed to be pets in people's homes. That's the bottom line."

Back on the river, Everett said he just wants to make sure the alligator is moved to a safe location. Providence is far from the animal's natural habitat, and it's unlikely to survive a New England winter.

"I do continue to poke down here once in a while, just to see if it's back," Everett said.

The alligator has probably been surviving on fish and small birds along the river. It's unlikely that he would hurt people or pets.

But anyone who sees the alligator should stay away and call for help.