COLUMBUS, Ohio — A street on the city's south side was shut down for several hours on Monday morning after an alligator was found hiding underneath a sport utility vehicle.

The 4-foot American alligator was discovered shortly after 7 a.m. under an SUV parked near the corner of Jenkins Avenue and Fourth Street, 10TV's Karina Nova reported.

"I had just gotten out of bed and saw the police and (news crews) out there," said resident Rilda Edwards. "So I had to ask and I found out there was an alligator under my husband's car."



The alligator stayed under the SUV for about two hours while police and neighbors waited for a wrangler to arrive.

After arriving at the scene, wrangler Brice Bailey captured the alligator with his bare hands and used a hair tie to keep its mouth shut. The capture took less than 30 seconds.

"An alligator that size, they get pretty quick and they are pretty strong," Bailey said.

The alligator's owner never showed up to claim it, and Bailey said it was likely that the gator outgrew his habitat.

"People get tired of taking care of them," Bailey said. "They can't find anyone to take him and so they'll just toss him out."

Bailey said the next move would be getting the alligator a new home.

"We'll take him home and raise him, get him back to health and give him to someone who's going to take care of him."

a hair tie??? Where can I find one that good?

a gators jaw strength is on closing not opening,,,,so u can actuall hold his mouth shut,,,,,,,wven if it's a female gator,,,,,,,lmao