'Fluffy' The Alligator Rescued From Eastern PA Creek After Flooding: Reports

BERKS COUNTY, PA — A landscaping crew got quite the surprise Wednesday when they found a small alligator along Antietam Creek in Berks County, according to police and media reports.

The workers were in Exeter, and called township police — who worked with the Animal Rescue League of Berks County to make sure the animal was safe.

"The rumors are true; there was an alligator found in Exeter Township," police said Wednesday afternoon. "We have partnered with the ARL and the animal is safe and in custody. "

An animal protection officer removed the alligator, and an expert from the Venom Institute helped evaluate it, according to WFMZ-TV and NBC10 Philadelphia. The two-and-a-half foot alligator was "overly thin" and dehydrated, the NBC10 report said.

The owner told animal control officers that the alligator, named "Fluffy," got loose from its outdoor enclosure during flash flooding several weeks ago, added WFMZ.

Fluffy showed signs of malnourishment, and deformities around its mouth "possibly due to an improper enclosure," according to the NBC10 report.

Animal control officers and the Schuylkill County-based Venom Institute will be working with the owner to make sure the gator is properly cared for, the reports said.