Kayaker Finds 4-Foot-Long Caiman in Lake Michigan – No, Seriously!
OutdoorHub Reporters 10.08.18
In other unusual news, officials in Waukegan, Illinois recovered an alligator out of Lake Michigan over the weekend. A FREAKING ALLIGATOR!!! The city posted a photo showing the large reptile – which later turned out to be a caiman – to their Facebook page.
“It is not every day someone reports an alligator in Lake Michigan and the report is true. This time the call was followed up with video of this four foot alligator slowly swimming in the Lake,” officials reported.
According to the Chicago Tribune, David Castaneda, a resident of Chicago, first discovered the gator – which turned out to be a 4-foot-long caiman – while kayaking early in the morning.
“I went closer to see if it was real,” he said. “I was just in shock. I wasn’t sure if it was a real alligator or a toy.”
Upon discovering it was actually real, Castaneda called 911 to report the animal, who was found with its mouth taped shut. Officials claimed the gator was “definitely on borrowed time,” appearing thin and lethargic.
“The alligator is being transported to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest.”
Although some alligator species actually thrive in freshwater, Lake Michigan is just too far north and too cold for them to survive. At this point in time, officials are uncertain as to how the caiman showed up in Lake Michigan in the first place.
