Who Dumped The Gator Into The Humboldt Park Lagoon?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three days and counting.
The Humboldt Park lagoon alligator is still avoiding capture. Not even a sighting on Thursday. People across the city are wondering how an alligator wound up in the Humboldt Park lagoon.
While everyone is looking for the gator, CBS 2's Tim McNicholas went looking for the person who left the gator in the lagoon.
"Trying to figure out where to start an investigation would be hard at this point as no one knows how long it's been there," CPD Public Information Officer Sally Brown said.
Andrew Babbitt, who owns the Curious Creatures exotic pet store in Uptown, said someone could have smuggled the gator in from one of the few states that don't ban pet gators.
"Especially Wisconsin," he said. "The laws are very lax. You can have alligators. It's right there by the border."
Babbitt said he often takes in legal exotic animals because people ditch them when they get too big. Authorities believe that's what happened to the gator.
"Don't purchase an illegal animal," Chicago Animal Care and Control DIrector Kelly Gandurksi said. "If you do purchase an illegal animal, and you're not sure what to do with it, please contact your local animal care and control."
Police say, if they ever do find out who ditched the gator, the culprit could be charged with animal abuse, neglect or abandonment.
But perhaps only the gator knows who did it.
