German Town Hunts for Alligator in Small Pond

Police in the German town of Vechta are searching for an alligator spotted in a small pond. The reptile was first seen yesterday in a rainwater basin by a passerby who captured footage of the discovery. While the video has not been released to the public, experts who reviewed it confirmed the presence of an alligator.

Authorities estimate the alligator to be between 80 centimeters and one meter in length, likely a juvenile. A police spokesperson suspects it may be an illegally kept pet that was released. No reports of missing animals have been filed in the area.

Yesterday, police cordoned off the pond and used drones to scan a 2.5-hectare area around it. Despite two searches, the alligator remains at large. A trap has now been set, using a dead rat as bait. If unsuccessful, the final option will be to drain the pond entirely.

The local municipality assures residents that the alligator poses no threat to humans or pets, describing it as too shy to be dangerous.

Interestingly, this is not the only alligator-related incident in Germany this weekend. In Berlin's Pankow district, police responded to a report of an alligator, only to find a plastic replica. A spokesperson humorously noted on Instagram, "We were quite surprised—apparently, Berlin's waters are more biodiverse than we thought." An officer waded in to remove the fake alligator, watched by about 200 onlookers. Police believe it was a prank.