Alligator in Brooklyn: 4-foot-long reptile found in NYC park

Those out for a Sunday morning stroll in a New York City park on Feb. 19 included a 4-foot-long alligator.

Maintenance workers and onlookers at Brooklyn's Prospect Park were stunned to see an alligator near a lake in the park. The workers alerted the Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers, who captured the gator, a spokesperson for the New York City Parks Department told NBC News.

No one was harmed, and the alligator is now at the Bronx Zoo for rehabilitation, the spokesperson said.

The animal was found in "poor condition" and "very lethargic," possibly in shock due to the cold water, the spokesperson said. Alligators are obviously not native to New York City and are usually found in warmer water in more tropical climates.

It's possible the animal is a pet, and releasing animals into New York City parks is illegal.

"Parks are not suitable homes for animals not indigenous to those parks—domesticated or otherwise," the parks department said in a statement. "In addition to the potential danger to park goers this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com