Alligator Found By Pleasanton Man in Niles Canyon Killed

NILES CANYON, CA — An alligator hunt in Niles Canyon, west of Pleasanton, has ended with the gator being shot to death, according to Steve Gonzalez of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The animal was spotted near the creek at about 11 a.m. but officers were unable to reach it. Rather than let it get away, potentially putting people in danger, Gonzalez said officers decided to kill it. "We never want to shoot an animal like this, but under the circumstance it was the right choice," Gonzalez said.

Todd Myers of Pleasanton first spotted the alligator on Monday and grabbed his cell phone to prove his wild claim. The alligator was sunning itself in Alameda Creek in Niles Canyon. Myers had been out for a hike with his children.

Myers told Channel 5, “He was kind of looking at us and every once in awhile he would move his right leg. I got a video of it. And we just watched him for about 20 minutes. And then he slithered off.”

As to where the alligator came from originally, that's anyone's guess. The likelihood is that it was someone's pet that was set free in the wild.

— Lead photo contributed; Bay City News contributed to this report