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City Develops New Plan To Trap Elusive Humboldt Park Alligator

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The city announced new plans Sunday night to try and trap an alligator that has so far eluded Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, Chicago Animal Care and Control teams, and a man who calls himself Alligator Bob.

The gator was again spotted Sunday night, peeking its head above the water of the Humboldt Park lagoon before sinking back below the surface.

Gator 1
A 4-foot or 5-foot alligator swims in the lagoon at Humboldt Park. A reptile expert is trying to trap the reptile so it can be taken to a safer environment at a zoo or animal sanctuary. (Photo credit: Mitch Gunkel)

It's been playing this game of hide and seek for a week now.

After days of trying to catch the gator with no luck, the city is changing up its strategy.

Chicago Police closed off the east half of the park Sunday evening.

In addition, they've closed Humboldt Boulevard to traffic between North Avenue and Division Street, and have put up fencing and barricades surrounding the pedestrian paths on the east side of the park.

Benny the Bull Alligator
Benny the Bull joined crowds at Humboldt Park on July 11, 2019, to watch for a possible sighting of a four-foot alligator recently spotted in the lagoon. (Credit: CBS)

It's a welcome sight for those who live in the neighborhood.

"It's been going too long trying to get this alligator. I think there's a lot of kids in the neighborhood, and people are coming to the park. So I'm okay with that if they're going to close it to get the alligator out," Nelly Smyser-De Leon said.

The new strategy came after the city consulted with alligator expert Frank Robb, owner of Crocodilian Specialist Services in Florida, who was hired to help assess the park and lagoon over the weekend.

The city hopes to keep onlookers and foot-traffic away from the lagoon, believing that that the quieter the surrounding area is, they more likely the gator is to take the bait.

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