Massachusetts man stumbles upon alligator in canal

Lowell - A man who was out with his twin daughters on Saturday noticed an alligator swimming in Merrimack Canal. Police initially believed the man was making a prank call when he reported the discovery.

MSNBC reports that the alligator was only about 1 1/2 feet long. The Associated Press (via Boston.com) reports that Calvin Thomas was out Saturday night with his twin 7-year-old daughters when he noticed the creature in the canal. Sgt. Jack Cullen arrived at the scene soon after to discover that the report of the alligator was in fact true. Animal Control was quickly notified of the alligator. Robert Picknard, the Animal Control officer who arrived at the scene, was able to capture the alligator with a net, according to UPI. The creature, which was uninjured, was taken to an exotic animals expert. It is believed that the alligator may have been a pet of a local resident and was later let loose when it grew too big.