The Tales Are Sort of True

February 29, 2020 10:38 AM

The Truth About Alligators in the Sewers of New York [SLNYT]
posted by chavenet (9 comments total)

And what about the CHUDS?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:06 PM on February 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

I love the little alligator peeking out of the corner of the article. He's shy!
posted by betweenthebars at 1:14 PM on February 29, 2020 [5 favorites]

"Ooh! No! You shouldn't do that - no that's dangerous. Yes, they breed in the sewers, and eventually you get evil-smelling flocks of huge soiled budgies flying out of people's lavatories infringing their personal freedom."
posted by valkane at 1:44 PM on February 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: Evil-smelling flocks of huge soiled budgies flying out of people's lavatories.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:02 PM on February 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

It s all kind of sad, those animals are all just babies living their very short lives in human feces and pharmaceuticals.

And I know it sounds cliche, but in Louisiana, ten-year old girls make games of catching little babies like this, trying to catch and release them without getting their nails or shirts dirty.

New York, please send us your little baby gators, send them back home where it's warm and less poopy

We 've got a few stray dogs and lots of feral pigs we can trade you
posted by eustatic at 4:29 PM on February 29, 2020 [3 favorites]

"We have arranged, at great expense, to supply you with a GENUINE LIVE BABY ALLIGATOR."
$1.50 postpaid (Would be $29 today, but still... )
Great expense? How do they make a profit? (I know- volume.)

I'm pleased to learn that this isn't entirely made up.
posted by MtDewd at 5:16 PM on February 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

It makes sense. Since the endangered species act, we have alligator farmers who are required to grow and distribute gators back into the swamps. There are many surplus animals, because the USA makes alligator factories.

Here s a fast company article I found interesting.

I m sure you'd lose your license if you yourself sold pets out of your farming operation, but it does not take a genius to figure out where and when the farms are re-distributing baby gators into the wild. Catch a drop, come back a week later with a bateau, a Q beam, and a couple of restless teens and scoop up newly released, and orphaned, baby gators for the pet trade. Illegal, sure, but seems difficult to crack down on.
posted by eustatic at 5:31 PM on February 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

Metafilter: where it's warm and less poopy
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:52 PM on February 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

One of my early Internet hangouts was the Urban Legend newsgroup and there was lively discussion of sewer gators. Burger King had a promo toy that was a little plastic rolling manhole with a cover that lifted up exposing a 'gator's head--they were not around very long. I had two of them and it was my first instance of fulfilling an Internet wish when I sent one to another person in the group after he expressed his desire to find one. Hmm now I need to see if I still have the other...
posted by agatha_magatha at 10:57 AM on March 2, 2020