Haberski with the uninvited guest
POUGHKEEPSIE – Police and firefighters receive calls quite frequently of stray dogs, or cats struck in trees, but Poughkeepsie City Police have a new one to add to their list of animal calls.
On Monday afternoon, they took a two-and-a-half-foot long alligator into custody.
Lt. Mel Clauson said it all began with a phone call to headquarters.
“We got a call from a female who said that she found a live alligator in the bushes at Waryas Park,” he said. Officer Robert Haberski was dispatched to the park and sure enough, he found the reptile burrowed into a pile of leaves.
The officer corralled the “Alli,” wrapped tape around its mouth to prevent injury and brought it to police headquarters.
After being placed in a canine cage, it was turned over to the Two by Two traveling exotic pet zoo.
It is unclear as to how “Alli” got loose in Poughkeepsie. One theory is that it was purchased as a pet when it was a baby and when it grew to its present size, was set free.
