Alligator pulled from Prospect Park lake swallowed bath stopper: officials

A cold-stricken alligator pulled from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn over the weekend was found to have swallowed a 4-inch-wide bath stopper and is now being treated at the Bronx Zoo, officials said.

A lethargic alligator was seen swimming in the water near Duck Island on the park’s southeastern edge – an area popular with children – and was removed by park workers.

The Bronx Zoo confirmed in a statement Wednesday that the animal is now in their care and is undergoing a medical examination.

X-rays taken at the zoo show that the reptile, which is between 5 and 6 years old, swallowed a bath stopper.

“The alligator is currently too weak to attempt to remove the cork,” the zoo said in a statement. “We will continue to provide her with supportive care and determine the next steps depending on how she responds to treatment.”

Officials said the stray beast was likely an unwanted pet whose owner decided to release it into public waters.

“The tragedy of this situation is a reminder that wild animals do not make good pets and that responsible pet ownership means making decisions that will not negatively impact the individual animal or the environment,” the zoo said in a statement.

Alligators are also “extremely malnourished” – weighing only 15 pounds, while alligators of this size typically weigh between 30 and 35 pounds.

He was also “lethargic and suffering from exposure to freezing temperatures,” officials said.

“Upon arrival at the Bronx Zoo, the animal was slowly warmed to appropriate ambient temperature and received supportive care,” the statement said. “Too weak and unresponsive to eat on her own, the female alligator is tube-fed to provide her with nutrients as well as fluids, B vitamins, antibiotics and antifungals.”

During the first sighting, the city’s park patrol and city park rangers responded quickly, pulling the alligator out of the water and taking it to its first stop – Animal Care Centers in Brooklyn, New York – before it arrived at the zoo.

“It’s completely unexpected,” Joseph Puleo, vice president of District 37, which represents city park workers, told The Post at the time.

“We were notified by someone who saw it. He didn’t move at all.”

Park goers who were expecting a quiet Sunday morning were taken by surprise by the incident.

“If I saw this alligator, I would throw it back into the water!” said a man from Brooklyn, who identified himself only as Moses, as he sat in a sun lounger near the scene.

“You never expected to see something like this here. But man, it makes me feel bad,” Moses said. “It shouldn’t be in the lake. Animals are like people, you know?

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