Andover, MA: Panic over alligators in water due to animal control – NBC Boston

A sharp-toothed, scaly surprise gave some hikers on a Massachusetts trail quite a scare, officials said Tuesday.

But what looked like an alligator in the water turned out, upon closer inspection – and a call to animal control in Andover – to be a toy alligator.

The whole thing took place at the Deer Jump Reservation on the Merrimack River, Andover Animal Control said in a social media post, sharing pictures of the small rubber object. Three officers were called by the group that spotted the toy: “They were nervous about getting too close and described what they could see before we ventured in.”

Officials burst into laughter when they found the “very well camouflaged” alligator, which was “positioned to look like the real animal.”

“We have retrieved and removed the toy to prevent others from having mini panic attacks while walking the trails. However, this is a FANTASTIC reminder of why you should always keep your dog on a leash,” the post said.

Andover Animal Control noted that this is not the first time someone has reported an alligator in the area. NBC10 Boston has reached out for more information.

In today's Daily Debrief, an alligator is captured after being spotted swimming in a Massachusetts river, a student is arrested in Lynn after police say he brought a toy gun to school, and there's a new vacation rental you can book that's inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Three years ago, a kayaker fished a three-foot-long alligator out of the Westfield River near the Big E Fairgrounds in western Massachusetts.