Alligators are a mainstay of the Florida landscape and we love our Orlando alligators here at Wild Florida. You may come across a few alligators on our airboat tour through the Florida Everglades or may catch them roaming free in just about all marshy and swamp terrain around the Sunshine State. We’ve seen alligators making appearances in the news with local stories of alligator sightings on roadways, in parks, and other public areas. But not all alligator reports and stories are based on fact.
Urban Legends About Alligators
One popular gator urban legend about alligators continues to circulate around the web. Legend has it that 80 years ago, a teenager by the name of Salvatore Condulucci was shoveling snow into a manhole near the Harlem River and discovered an alligator thrashing about trying to break free. The New York Times even reported this ‘incident’ in February 1935, describing how Condulucci and his friends tried to lasso the alligator out of the sewer to drag it out. The New York Times article describes how the boys, “dangled the noose in the sewer, and after several tantalizing near-catches, looped it about the gators neck.” The animal was allegedly dragged out from the sewer and made an attempt to attack the group, at which the gang then pummeled the alligator to death. You’ll find more about this story on amny.com
So why do some think this story is a hoax? According to experts, there were no photographs of this incident and there was no record of the alligator carcass anywhere. Also according to some, the alligator had managed to hop aboard a steamer from the Florida Everglades and made it all the way to New York before falling into a sewer. It’s a crazy tale and just one of many alligator stories that have been circulating around the web in recent years.
Wildlife Florida welcomes you to come and learn more about our Orlando alligators and other wildlife native to Florida. Please call (866) 532-7167 or buy tickets online for our airboat rides or our Wildlife and Nature Park.
