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A kayaker fishing salmon off Waukegan Harbor on Monday morning found an unexpected animal in the water – a 4-foot-long American alligator
David Castaneda, a resident of Chicago, paddled for about four hours when, around 9:30, he saw something float in the water, he said. Thinking that it was a dead salmon, he went to check it out.
Instead, he saw an alligator head, Castaneda said.
"I approached to see if it was real," he said. "I was just in shock. I did not know if it was a real alligator or a toy.
Castaneda called 911 to report the alligator and animal control Waukegan responded.
The animal, with its mouth shut, "was definitely ready," said Rob Carmichael, curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, where the alligator is taken.
"I would say it would be a chance if he was still living a few weeks," Carmichael said. "Lake Michigan is getting colder every week."
Carmichael said he and a veterinarian will assess the condition of the alligator as soon as he arrives.
The city had originally reported the animal found as a caiman, which looks like an alligator, but the Wildlife Discovery Center told the city later in the day on Monday that it was taking place. from an American alligator.
It is not known how long the animal stayed in the water with the mouth shut, added Carmichael, claiming that the alligator seemed to be very thin compared to what he has seen so far.
He expects the Discovery Center to know how serious the situation is, but as long as there is no major problem like a bacterial infection, Carmichael said he thought they should be able to return the animal.
An investigation to determine if the animal was abandoned, which is a crime, will be "absolutely" conducted, said city spokesman David Motley.
Exotic animal abandonment is something that happens less than before because of the state's increased regulation over the ownership of endangered or threatened animals, which requires a allowed, said Carmichael.
The system seems to work, because Carmichael has not seen as many cases similar to what has happened in Waukegan over the past five years, Carmichael said.
On another occasion, an exotic animal was discovered in Waukegan in September 2012, when a fully grown Burmese python of nearly 14 feet was found near Waukegan Harbor, according to News-Sun. The snake was euthanized because of his wounds the next day.
An alligator was also discovered in the Chicago River under the Belmont Avenue Bridge in August 2010, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune published at the time.
"There are many more responsibilities built into the system," Carmichael said. "People have to jump through hoops and that's a good thing. This excludes people who want to do it for the "oh, wow" factor. "
Some dangerous animals, such as lions, bears and coyotes, are illegal under the State's Dangerous Animals Act.
Twitter @mekcoleman
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