A road crew working in southwest Iowa’s Mills County made an unusual discovery Tuesday. The crew found a four foot long dead alligator along Interstate 29 near Glenwood. Donald DeLong, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the animal was probably someone’s pet.
DeLong says it’s also possible the animal was brought to the area from a southern state where alligator hunting is legal. "Our wildlife biologist will do some checking on it to find out if it was a pet – hopefully someone might know about it and give us some information," DeLong said.
The animal appears to have suffered a head injury and its mouth was taped shut. "In 27 years being in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, this is one of the first (alligators) I’ve had to encounter," DeLong said. "I know there’s been maybe one other one found a few years back over in the Carter Lake area."