Officials nab alligator in Lake Michigan -- no, seriously

Well, here's something you don't see everyday - or ever.

Officials in Waukegan, Illinois recovered an alligator in Lake Michigan this weekend. The city posted a picture to their Facebook page about the discovery.

"It is not every day someone reports an alligator in Lake Michigan and the report is true. This time the call was followed up with video of this four foot alligator slowly swimming in the Lake." officials wrote.

"The alligator is being transported to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest."

The Chicago Tribune reports the gator was found by Chicago resident David Castaneda, who was paddling around when he saw something floating.

“I went closer to see if it was real,” he said. “I was just in shock. I wasn’t sure if it was a real alligator or a toy.”

Castaneda called 911 to report the animal, who had its mouth taped shut. Officials told the Tribune the alligator was "definitely on borrowed time," and appeared to be thin. 

The alligator was identified as a four-foot long caiman alligator.

Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it's just too cold in the north for them to survive. They don't typically live farther north than North Carolina.

It's unclear how the alligator arrived to Lake Michigan. The city said an investigation into whether the animal was abandoned will happen.