Sept. 19 (UPI) — A Washington, D.C., man used a net on a pole to make an unusual catch in the Washington Channel — a 4-foot alligator.
The dockmaster at The Wharf Marina in southwest Washington issued an alert Thursday morning that what appeared to be a juvenile alligator had been spotted in the water.
The alert sparked the curiosity of Phoenix Norwood, 23, who was determined to find the non-native reptile.
Norwood located the alligator after about an hour of searching.
“I saw him right there suntanning, and they tried to get it, and he splooshed right back into the water,” Norwood told NBC4 Washington.
He retrieved a net and pole from his family’s houseboat and took it upon himself to ensnare the gator.
“If I had just let it be on its own, it would have probably swam away again, and authorities were about like 10, 15 minutes away at the time,” Norwood told WTOP-TV. “I had to get it at that point in time. I probably should have had shoes on, though.”
Norwood kept the alligator contained in the net until animal control personnel arrived.
Officials said the gator was likely a pet that was abandoned by its owner after becoming too large to care for. The animals are not legal to keep as pets in the District, and similar prohibitions are in place in the neighboring states Virginia and Maryland.
“Catching an alligator, that’s a rite of passage in Florida, but in the District? Not so much,” Norwood said. “You got your lawyers, your politicians, but alligator wranglers? Not exactly.”
Animal control said it will work with a rescue group to find an appropriate new home for the alligator.
