Gator in Ohio captured barehanded after spotted by dog

[June 18, 2010]  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Witnesses say a reptile wrangler used his bare hands to capture a 4-foot alligator that an alert dog noticed outside an Ohio business.

Employee Jeff Colucy was with his Weimaraner (WEYE'-meh-rah-ner) in the parking lot of a Columbus company that makes office fixtures when the dog went on alert Wednesday morning, focused on the alligator hunkered down in a puddle.

Police brought in reptile wrangler Chris Law, who captured the gator by grabbing it at the tail with his bare hands. He says he didn't have his usual reptile rescue gear because he was about to leave on vacation.

Law says people often buy alligators as pets, then dump them when they get too big. He picks up about 40 a year and turns them over to wildlife rescue groups.

___

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.