ALLEN PARK, Mich. – An alligator was found Monday in an Allen Park resident's backyard pond.
"He was in the lily pads that the owner had, just hanging out doing his thing," said Jerry Swanter, of the Allen Park Critter Shop.
The alligator was far away from its natural habitat in the backyard pond off of Horger Avenue.
"No one can wrangle an alligator," Swanter said. "No one knows what to do with one."
But police called the Allen Park Critter Shop, and employees knew how to help with the situation.
"This is my very first call ever with a gator," Swanter said. "There were four cops and they have no experience with them, so they kind of let me do my thing, get him out safe, especially because there were little kids around."
The children were siblings from across the street.
"I saw a crocodile yesterday," 6-year-old Alana said. "I wasn't even scared."
The children watched Swanter get the gator out of the pond. They said they were only scared for the fish in the pond, but none of them were eaten.
Nobody was injured during the incident, officials said.
The gator was about 24 inches long and around 5 years old.