Overview
- Harford County Northern Precinct deputies responded around 11 p.m. on Oct. 23 to a report of an alligator in a Forest Hill shop parking lot.
- The animal was secured at the scene, a reptile rescue was contacted, and it was transferred to Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun.
- Officials reported the alligator was healthy, friendly and docile, suggesting it had likely been kept as a pet.
- Authorities said near-freezing overnight temperatures created a serious survival risk that timely intervention averted.
- The sheriff’s office opened an investigation and asked anyone with information to call the Northern Precinct at 410-692-7880, noting that state law bans private alligator ownership and county code prohibits abandoning animals.