Video Footage Shows Alligator in Lake Erie
Posted 2024-08-21 by
The 4- to 5-foot reptile was spotted near a Pennsylvania shoreline, but isn't expected to survive the winter
Visitors to Lake Erie in Pennsylvania claim to have spotted an alligator in the water, bobbing and splashing near swimmers near the East Avenue boat launch.
Christina Roach filmed the 4-to 5-foot-long reptile during her visit to the lake with her family.
"After an hour or so of swimming, a man came running over yelling to get out of the water and pointed to the alligator," she told foxweather.com. "I immediately yelled for our kids to get out of the water."
Roach said she notified authorities of the incident.
Local reports claim the Erie Port Authority reached out to a trapper about capturing the reptile, which looks to be around two to four years old.
"We’re really asking the public, if you’ve seen something, please reach out to us," Erie Port Authority Executive Director Julie Slomsk said. "If someone knows of someone that may have released this gator into the waters, we’d love to talk to that individual.”
Reptile experts say the small gator was likely someone’s pet that was released into the lake and that it will likely not survive the winter due to the cold conditions.
In the meantime, signs have been posted in the area warning people of the alligator.
