Engineer catches baby alligator at British reservoir

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A British water utility said an engineer inspecting a reservoir in Somerset, England, made an unexpected discovery: a baby alligator.

Bristol Water posted a video to Twitter showing the 2-foot reptile, believed to be a baby alligator or caiman, scurrying around Friday at the shore of Chew Valley Lake, a drinking water reservoir.

"We're not exactly sure what reptile it is, whether it's a caiman, alligator or crocodile, but we think it's an alligator. We've found terrapins in the past, but to see a reptile like this is very surprising," John Harris, fisheries and recreation officer at Bristol Water, told ITV News.

Bristol Water employees captured the little gator and turned it over to rescuers with the RSPCA.

"It is on its way to London where a licensed handler re-homes reptiles of this nature," Bristol Water tweeted.

The RSPCA said the alligator discovery could be part of a "worrying" trend of pet reptiles being abandoned outdoors by their owners.