On Sunday, an alligator was discovered in a frigid New York City lake, far from the subtropical and tropical conditions in which these animals flourish.

The 4-foot (1.2-meter) lizard was retrieved from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn at 8:30 a.m. and transported to an animal care center before being rehabilitated at the Bronx Zoo.

The alligator appeared lethargic and potentially cold-shocked, according to city officials. They stated that it was likely abandoned as an unwanted pet. The release of animals in city parks is prohibited. Police are conducting a probe.

New Yorkers have pondered for years the urban legend that alligators wander the city’s sewer system, even commemorating an unofficial Alligators in the Sewers Day in February.

Sightings such as Sundays help maintain the urban mythology, but specialists refute the sewage explanation. They claim that alligators are not adapted to the toxic, freezing environment of the sewer system.