Dead alligator found in Indiana drain

Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

"Surveyors looking for the source of a clogged drain in southern Adams County found a 7-foot dead alligator. 'At first they thought it was a turtle in there, but then they discovered an alligator,' Adams County sheriff's Deputy Larry Butler said.

He said the 120-pound alligator, which had been dead for about a week, was put inside the drain after it died. The sheriff's department and the Department of Natural Resources were looking for the owner of the reptile found Monday in Berne, about 30 miles south of Fort Wayne.

It is legal to own alligators in Indiana, but the state requires owners to apply for a permit with the DNR for alligators that are longer than 5 feet, said Greg McCollam, assistant director with the department's fish and wildlife division. There were no permits registered in Adams County, he said."