Alligator Found Outside Michigan Woman's Home: Police

ROMULUS, MI — Police in one Michigan town had anything but an ordinary day when a woman called them to report she discovered an alligator on the back porch of her Romulus home.

In a story straight off a Florida front page, the Romulus Police Department shared some details about the wild encounter. While the woman requested police not share her name, address or the date of her find, police offered a glimpse into how the rare sighting went down.

"A Romulus woman calls the police station and is calmly speaking to the sergeant," police wrote in a Facebook post. Police said they heard laughter in the background before the woman said, "There is a crocodile or an alligator on my back patio."

Despite the woman's claim, police said the sergeant taking the call was skeptical.

"Can you send a picture of it?" he asked.

The woman complied, prompting the likely-bewildered sergeant to exclaim, "Well, I'll be!"

While alligators don't live in the Michigan wild, they are surprisingly spotted in the state every year, according to an MLive.com report. While most alligators live in aquariums in people's homes, sometimes larger alligators are spotted in ponds or creeks, the report said.

In Romulus, it's illegal for a person to possess, keep or maintain any wild or exotic animal or poisonous reptiles. This includes alligators. The state, however, has no such law.

According to police, the Romulus alligator was taken into custody by police and turned over to Animal Magic in Belleville.

And while stumbling across an alligator in Michigan certainly isn't an everyday occurrence, Romulus police said it wasn't the first time officers were called to collect a rogue gator.

"While we had some fun with this story, it goes without saying that alligators are no joke and can cause serious injury or death to persons or pets," police said.