Alligator caught in Manhattan dies

An alligator that was caught while taking a stroll in Upper Manhattan Thursday has died, authorities said.

Cops from the NYPD Emergency Services Unit captured the three-foot reptile at 205th Street and 9th Avenue in Inwood, police said. The 34th Precinct tweeted "So this alligator was crossing 9th Ave in #Inwood...no, really. At 205 Str. Cops took him to Animal Control #whatnext" with a photo of the animal.

Medical staff from Animal Care Centers of NYC removed duct tape from the alligator's snout and housed him in an aquarium with a pool of water and a heat lamp, ACC said in an emailed statement.

"Sadly the alligator, which staff had named CockadoodleQ, died this morning," ACC's Alexandra Silver said in the statement. "We have no knowledge of the conditions CockadoodleQ had lived in prior to his arrival that contributed to his death."

The animal was likely someone's pet that either escaped or was released. However, keeping exotic animals -- including alligators -- as pets in New York City is illegal, ACC said.