Jersey gator caught on video, eludes capture

Sept. 20 (UPI) -- An alligator on the loose for days in New Jersey was caught on video, but the reptile managed to elude capture by the police.

The Mullica Township Police Department warned residents this week to keep an eye on small pets after credible reports of an alligator wandering the area, and cellphone video has emerged confirming the reptile's presence in the area.

Jenna Alcantra, whose property hosted the alligator for a time Tuesday, said she was shocked when police informed her of the situation.

"The police knocked on our door at 8:30 last night and notified me there was an alligator on the property," Alcantara told WPVI-TV. "It's a little strange. I can't really fathom where this alligator came from."

Police said the alligator is believed to be an exotic pet that either escaped or was set free when it grew too large to keep in a tank.

A small alligator was captured just last week by animal control officers in Old Bridge, N.J., about 90 miles away from Mullica Township.