Alligator spotted in Manhattan, Kansas, is sought by animal control officers
An alligator thought to be one of two stolen from a Kansas pet store over the weekend was spotted in Wildcat Creek in Manhattan, Kansas, police said.
A man walking on Linear Park Trail near 17th Street called Riley County Police Department Emergency Dispatch about 1:30 p.m. saying he saw the alligator in the creek, police said in a post on Facebook.
Animal control responded to the area and spotted the alligator on a branch in the water.
Police on Thursday morning said the Linear Trail is closed from Pecan Circle to South Manhattan Avenue while animal control worked to catch the reptile.
Police said it was not known how or when the alligator made it into the creek.
However, the alligator is believed to be one of two that were stolen from Sunday from Reptile World over the weekend, police said. The second gator has not been found.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, police said it is illegal to have an alligator this size in the city without a pet store license.
Reptile World said in a Facebook post on Saturday that the alligators were stolen overnight. The store posted photos of the alligators, saying the pictures were from last year so the reptiles are a “little bit bigger now.”
Police asked anyone with information about the theft to contact them at 785-537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at 785-539-7777.
