Alligator-like reptile captured in High Park pond

An unwanted visitor was ousted from High Park’s Catfish Pond on Monday after a GTA zoo captured and removed an alligator-like reptile from the water.

A small caiman was first spotted on Sunday, with video of it emerging Monday on YouTube and shared in social media.

Lee Parker from Reptilia in Vaughan waded into the water and captured the creature with his bare hands on Monday. The caiman is believed to be about a year old, and 30 inches long — with the potential to reach eight feet in length and more than 300 pounds in an appropriate environment.

“At this size he’s not too much of a threat,” Parker said. “(But) he does have needle sharp teeth and he would still do a fair amount of damage.”

It’s believed the reptile was dumped in the pond by someone who no longer wanted it. Parker says the caiman would easily survive the summer, but would die in the winter months.

“People often buy them when they’re small and cute; they do out-grow their enclosure,” said Parker.

“It’s a myth that animals will be changed by the size of the enclosure…they will keep growing.”

Experts caution caimans should not be kept as a pet but instead left to the zoos and other facilities that care for reptiles. It is also against local bylaws to keep a caiman as a pet.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today