Alligator captured in Chicago suburb

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUFFALO GROVE — Police in suburban Chicago used a pole borrowed from a utility crew, a trash can and a small net to catch an alligator spotted on a resident’s front lawn.

Buffalo Grove Police Sgt. Mike Millet says he initially suspected the resident had been drinking when the man called to report the 3-foot reptile.

Officers responded to the scene and spent about 90 minutes searching before cornering the alligator. Millet says his squad used a pole provided by a ComEd repair crew and the net to get the alligator into the trash can.

Officials say the reptile appears to be in good health and wasn’t harmed during the capture.

It isn’t clear how the alligator ended up in Buffalo Grove. This summer, two alligators were pulled from the Chicago River, and officials suspect they were pets that were released when they became too big to keep.