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Alligator captured in Pittsburgh park

An alligator was found and removed from a Pittsburgh park Saturday. (Photo: Pittsburgh Public Safety)

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Public Safety and the Fish and Boat Commission captured an alligator at the Southside Riverfront Park on Saturday.

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Police said a family that was fishing along the Monongahela River saw the alligator around 1:15 p.m. and called 911.

Police said the alligator tried to hide from officers under a tree. Eventually, officers dug and created an opening, capturing the alligator with their hands.

Animal Control officers were prepared to take the alligator to the Humane Animal Rescue in the East End, but they then received a report of a goat on Baum Boulevard. Officers responded and found out it was someone visiting Pittsburgh who brought their pet pygmy goat from Forest Hills.

Seriously, alligators are not common in Pittsburgh. So when someone called 911 today and said a 3-foot alligator was...

Posted by Pittsburgh Public Safety Department on Saturday, May 18, 2019

Once the goat was secured, officers then took the alligator to Humane Animal Rescue.

Police said the alligator was likely a pet that was released into the wild. The alligator is about three feet long and weighs around 10 pounds.

The alligator was not injured and appeared to be healthy, police said. It will stay at the animal rescue until a shelter or refuge is found to relocate the alligator.