A 4-foot-long alligator that was pulled from a lake in Brooklyn's Prospect Park may have been an unwanted pet, officials say

• An alligator was spotted floating in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake in New York City on Sunday.
• The 4-foot-long alligator was pulled out by park officials and is being evaluated in the Bronx Zoo.

A 4-foot-long alligator that was pulled from a Brooklyn lake on Sunday may have been an unwanted pet, officials said.

The alligator was spotted floating in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake in New York City early on Sunday morning, Dan Kastanis, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation told Insider.

It was found near an area of the park where children like to play, The New York Post reported.

The alligator was spotted by a passerby who immediately reported it to officials, Joseph Puleo, vice president of District Council 37, told The Post. Puelo said that when park officials arrived at the lake, the reptile "wasn't moving really at all."

It is not clear how the alligator found its way into the lake, but it is possible that it was a pet that was released into the lake by its owner, Kastanis told Insider.

"Thankfully, no one was harmed, and the animal is being evaluated," Kastanis said. "In this case, the animal was found very lethargic and possibly cold-shocked since it is native to warm, tropical climates."

The release of animals into New York parks is illegal. The alligator is currently in rehabilitation in the Bronx Zoo, Kastanis said.

He added: "In addition to the potential danger to park goers, this could have caused, releasing non-indigenous animals or unwanted pets can lead to the elimination of native species and unhealthy water quality."