A strange little trend hit this summer.
In July, a 4-5ft alligator was spotted in a Chicago lake. It earned the nick name Chance the Snapper and was eventually caught. I heard about this during a trip to Chicago I took in mid July.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/alligator-chicago-chance-snapper.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/alligator-chicago-chance-snapper.html)
Then only a few days ago, a 7ft crocodile was in a river near Dayton, Oh.
(https://www.fox19.com/2019/08/15/crocodile-swimming-dayton-area-creek-killed-by-odnr/)
Its most likely these were animals privately owned that were illegally released.
It also makes me wonder. With global temperatures rising, could these animals get accidentally released into northern waters and survive. Maybe even establish breeding colonies. The great lakes in our life time could one day be the home to a group of large predatory reptiles.
I SAW THAT MOVIE!!!!