Forget New York’s mythical sewer gators; Last week, a routine pothole inspection turned into a startling encounter with a five-foot alligator lurking within a sludge-filled stormwater pipe.
A city work crew deployed a camera-equipped robot to investigate persistent road craters. What they found, however, was far more unsettling than crumbling asphalt. The footage, now circulating widely on social media, shows the robot’s perspective as it navigates the dark pipe.
Initially, the crew mistook the gator’s glowing eyes for a toad. As the robot drew closer, the creature revealed its true identity, rearing up with its jaws wide open. The alligator then retreated, the robot following, capturing the chilling scene.
“Just another reason not to go wandering down into the stormwater pipes!” a city spokesperson warned. They explained that the alligator likely entered the pipe system, which spans 75 miles, through one of the city’s stormwater ponds.
Social media users were stunned, with many comparing the incident to the “Killer Croc” villain from the Batman comics. Some wondered how the gator navigated the complex network of pipes. While the city was relieved that a robot, rather than a human, had encountered the reptile, they refrained from commenting on any potential meth-fueled behavior of the animal.
Residents confirmed that alligators in storm drains are not uncommon, echoing a scenario from the movie “Crawl.”
Interestingly, the classic New York City sewer gator myth also saw a few real-life counterparts. In 2010, an 18-inch alligator was captured in Astoria, and this past February, a four-foot alligator was pulled from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Lake. Officials believe this most recent gator, which had a bathroom stopper in its stomach, was a released pet. Sadly, despite efforts to save it at the Zoo, the alligator died from its injuries, a case officials deemed “tragic animal abuse.”
