The High Park caiman has been caught

The High Park caiman, an alligator-like reptile spotted by a Toronto resident yesterday, has been caught. Earlier this evening, the Toronto Police Marine Unit and staff from Reptilia were called to the west end of the park to hunt down the creature, who probably wouldn't have fared so well in the pond over the long term. While smaller than Big Blue, the caiman's presence was understandably mysterious enough. The likeliest theory is that the roughly 80 centimetre long reptile was a pet that grew too big and was subsequently dumped in the pond by its dimwitted owner.

The search and rescue mission (which has more than a few ducks quacking more easily tonight) took roughly an hour, and eventually came to a conclusion as Reptilia facilities manager Lee Parker snuck up behind the creature and snatched it up. The caiman will now be kept at Reptilia before the zoo attempts to find it a permanent home elsewhere. It's a happy ending for the misplaced reptile, though I'll continue to believe that there is a far larger creature hiding away in Catfish Pond for which the caiman was a convenient cover.

Photo by lucasimages.ca in the blogTO Flickr pool.