DEC Officials Search for Gator in Calverton

About two months after four alligators were pulled from the waters of the Peconic River in Calverton, officers with the Department of Environmental Conservation are once again on the hunt for a reptile in the area after confirming this week that one was on the loose.

Officials are unsure whether the creature is an alligator or a caiman, a similar animal coming from the same family as gators.

Both, however, are unnatural to the area and could be dangerous.

"Often times what happens is people have them as pets illegally, and as they start growing, somebody is unable to take care of them," said Aphrodite Montalvo, spokeswoman with the DEC. "From our experience in the past, people will just dump them in a nearby waterway."

Officials said they first received a report of an alligator on Sunday, by the Connecticut Avenue boat access ramp. DEC officers confirmed by Wednesday that the animal – estimated to be about three to four feet long – was on the loose. It was spotted a few times on Thursday, though DEC officers were unable to catch it.

No sightings had been made by mid-afternoon Friday, Montalvo said, as the reptile was likely not very active. Specialists are hoping it hits the land once it gets warmer out. In the meantime, the Connecticut Avenue boat ramp is closed to public access.

Anyone who spots the reptile can call the DEC at 631-444-0250.