South Jersey neighborhood alligator still on the loose

MULLICA — An alligator remained on the loose Thursday in a South Jersey neighborhood despite the efforts of police and state animal control officials to find it.

The 4-foot alligator was first spotted Tuesday by police in the Devonshire section of the township.

Police Chief John Thompson shared video taken Wednesday showing the gator in a resident's yard.  Police told 6 ABC Action News that they believe it was living in a tank inside a home and was released when it got too big.

The question remains: How do you catch an alligator?

John Bergmann, director of the Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey, which is not involved in the search, said there's a lot of places it could go and that alerting the public has more people looking for it.

Nice weather may slow down the alligator and draw it out, he said.

"On a sunny day it's going to try and bask. It's a little chilly today so it's going to try some warmer place," Bergmann said. On the other hand, it can move faster if it gets into a body of water.

While there is no "call" the alligator will respond to,Bergmann joked that police might be able to bait if with a thawed turkey.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ