The Fairfax County Police Division, situated within the US state of Virginia, responded to a caller who reported seeing an alligator early Monday morning.
The reptile was situated outdoors of a motel simply 20 minutes south of Washington DC.
Police informed the BBC that they decided the proprietor was transporting the alligator from New York to a North Carolina zoo when it escaped.
On account of a Virginia code which prohibits the possession of sure non-native, unique animals, the alligator and its proprietor have been escorted out of the county, officers mentioned.