AT LEAST one alligator apparently really does live in New York City's sewers with a 46cm 'gator allegedly crawling out of a drain today, delighting onlookers and giving fresh meat to the urban myth that the carnivorous critters are living below the Big Apple. The spectacle began just after 3pm local time, when a passersby spotted the reptile on Newtown Avenue near 29th St, Astoria, Queens and yelled “Crocodile!”, the New York Post reported. One witness said the alligator crawled out of a drain during the afternoon's downpour. Police couldn't verify that the animal crawled from the sewers – a big-city myth that inspired the 1980 B-movie Alligator and others – but were baffled as to where it came from. “It's a big mystery,” said police spokesman Officer James Duffy. “It could have been dumped from a car or it could have come out of a sewer.” The police Emergency Service Unit lassoed the animal and bound its snout with tape. The caged 'gator was kept at the 114th Precinct until it was picked up by Animal Care & Control. A spokesman for animal control said the alligator would be taken to a licensed rehabilitation carer or reptile sanctuary. Crocodiles and alligators have called New York home in the past, most famously in 2001, when the city was captivated by a caiman that eluded authorities in Central Park for a week. In 2003, police caught a 1.2-metre crocodile that was wandering around a Queens park. Some experts have called the city's sewer system a “natural swamp” warm enough to attract 'gators, but few think they could survive for very long. No one has yet claimed the alligator. added by: eden49
