Escaped alligator spotted crossing the road -- in Canada

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A shocked Montreal woman captured video when she came across an unusual scene for the city -- an alligator crossing the road.

Mayssam Samaha said she was looking out the window while drinking coffee Sunday at Villeray when she noticed an alligator outside.

"It took a few seconds for my brain to comprehend what was happening," Samaha told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Samaha filmed video of the alligator crossing Jarry Street East while her friend stopped traffic to protect the reptile.

Police, who initially misidentified the creature as a crocodile, said it had escaped from a nearby van that belongs to a company that puts on exotic animal demonstrations.

The alligator's owners recaptured the animal before officers arrived on the scene, police said.