An animal control field manager says police thought it was a joke at first when someone reported seeing a gator in Chappaqua, 30 miles northeast of New York City.
Trappers put chicken out to lure the alligator on Tuesday, but a raccoon ate the bait.
They returned to Pine Cliff Sanctuary on Wednesday with a deep-sea fishing pole. The gator became tangled in the fishing line.
Animal control officers say the alligator may have been a pet. They're trying to find it a new home in a sanctuary.
