DEC continues search for the Calverton gator
An elusive alligator remained on the loose Friday in Calverton as State Environmental Conservation Officers converged on the area to attempt to bait the gator.
Spotted in the Peconic River near the state boat ramp on Connecticut Avenue, the gator is estimated to be about 3 1/2 to 4 feet long, officer Donald Damrath said.
It’s the second time in less than two months a gator has been spotted in the area. Four baby gators were found in the same spot in mid-April.
Mr. Damrath spotted the gator Wednesday and another man photographed it earlier in the week. Officer Kaitlyn Grady and Lt. Frank Carbone assisted Friday in trying to lure in the gator near the ramp where a trail leading to it has been closed to the public since Wednesday. Officials believe the gator is likely still near the boat ramp.
Mr. Damrath said the gator may be dormant. Gators become dormant when temperatures reach 55 degrees and stop feeding when the temperature is about 70 degrees, he said.
The air temperature was near 70 degrees Friday but the water temperature was unknown. The gators will stay on land if it is warmer than the water, Mr. Damrath said.
The officers put some chicken down by the ramp in an attempt to bait the gator. Mr. Damrath said the gator was likely domestic, so the trap might not work.
It’s possible that this gator was owned by the same person that owned the other four, he said.
The goal is to catch it alive if possible, he said, but cautioned, “It’s a dangerous animal.”
