Yet another alligator has reportedly been sighted near a western Pennsylvania river, but this one is eluding capture.
According to Pittsburgh media outlets, the 2- to 3-foot-long gator was spotted July 26 in West Mifflin near the Monongahela River, which locals refer to as the Mon. West Mifflin borders southeast Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that borough police received a video of the gator walking along a road and into weeds on July 26. West Mifflin police told PennLive Wednesday that the alligator has not been seen or captured since the video was taken.
This sighting actually came a few days before the gator dubbed Chomper became the subject of national publicity and a massive search on the Kiski River in Armstrong County, about an hour north of West Mifflin.
After being caught, that 4-foot alligator is now with a southwest Pennsylvania nonprofit where it will serve as an “ambassador” and educational exhibit for students.
The Mon River flows toward Pittsburgh where it meets with the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River. The Mon is about a half-mile from where the gator was spotted.
A nearby U.S. Steel mill has even alerted workers to keep their eyes peeled for the gator.
West Mifflin police Sgt. Ryan Sabol, who owns some reptiles and has caught a few before, told the Post-Gazette that he was not surprised that the Mon River gator has dropped out of sight.
“The alligator could just be laying low,” he said. “If he’s hungry, he’s going to walk and look for food in a more suitable habitat.”