By Tim Binnall
A visitor to a park in Chicago was left scratching his head at the sight of a rather sizeable mystery creature that briefly emerged from a pond. According to a local media report, the unidentified animal was observed last week by an individual strolling around the city's Lincoln Park. The creature in question, seen swimming in the park's North Pond, was described by the witness as being around four to six feet in length and seemingly sporting a snout. Pictures of the puzzling animal caused something of a stir on social media with many wondering if the oddity was an alligator.
While such a scenario might sound unfathomable, it was not entirely out of the question as an alligator was plucked from a pond in a different Chicago park back in 2022. That creature, delightfully dubbed 'Chance the Snapper' became something of a local sensation before being sent to Florida for its friendlier climate. Alas, those hoping that the mysterious animal seen in the Lincoln Park pond might be the proverbial second coming of the celebrity reptile from a couple of years ago had their hopes dashed by the city's department of Animal Care & Control.
Public information officer Armando Tejeda indicated that the department looked into the case after receiving multiple calls about the curious creature as word of the weird sighting spread online. The mystery ultimately turned out to be rather short-lived as a consultation with the Chicago Herpetological Society led to the determination that the animal was not an alligator. "It was actually, for lack of a better term, it was a turtle surfing in the water," Tejada revealed, explaining that the animal had "clamped onto" a log and was using it as something of a makeshift flotation device as it cruised around the pond.