The following account signals that spring is finally here in North America.

In Mysterious America, I noted that out-of-place alligators should to be tracked to keep such reports separate from Lake Monster reports. Over thirty years ago, reports of crocs could often indicate an extension of the reptile’s range or an escaped or released pet. But some few sightings hinted at breeding populations of alligators, such as near Decatur, Illinois, or Oakland, Michigan. (Yes, department of wildlife officials, they do “winter over.”)

Very rarely, some “alligator” observations are indications of a cryptid in the area.

Heightened awareness makes recording such finds more commonplace, and thus, once again, as the trees begin to bud and the birds are singing their mating songs in the Northern Hemisphere, I’ll carry such appearances here at Cryptomundo, from readers and news reports.

A Brookline (New Hamsphire, USA) fisherman is claiming he caught something unexpected at Melendy Pond on Tuesday night (April 22, 2005) — a 5-foot alligator.

Fisherman Says He Caught Alligator, But No Sign Of Animal Found

The man said the alligator lunged at him and tried to bite him before swimming into the pond.

“He was over here on the other side fishing, and he was jumping up and down yelling at me,” resident Tom Hodgson said. He was yelling something about catching something out here.”

Police said the fisherman said he had it on his line, waiting for officers to arrive, but the line snapped and the animal went back into the pond.

Fish and Game Department officials investigated on Wednesday (April 23, 2005). They said they didn’t have a chance to speak to the fisherman directly, but they got the story through the police department.

“I don’t know how close it was to him,” Fish and Game Officer Todd Szewczyk said. “A lot of times when we get reports like this, it’s a snapping turtle, not an alligator. I don’t know how close it was when it was seen. When the police officer arrived from Brookline, the line was broken off, and he
didn’t get a chance to see it.”

Szewczyk checked the pond’s shoreline. He said an alligator could not have survived the winter and could only recently have been dumped in the water.

“The water temperatures are 50 degrees, and if it were here, it would be on shore, and we have not been able to find it yet today,” Szewczyk said.

Fish and Game officials said they can’t say conclusively that there is no alligator, but they couldn’t find one or any evidence of one when they searched.