The Colorado Parks & Wildlife received a very unusual call on the morning of June 16th. Somebody spotted a caiman (basically a small alligator) swimming in Sloan’s Lake near downtown Denver, CO.

It probably goes without saying, but caiman obviously are not native to Colorado. Officials believe that somebody owned the animal as a pet, and released into Sloan’s Lake recently.

The rescued caiman has been affectionately named Miss Bo Mangles.

Miss Bo Mangles has been rescued by Oscar The Service Lizard & Friends, a Denver-based company that used lizard and reptiles in therapy settings.

Check her out below.

This is my worst irrational childhood fear come to life. I used to think that a crocodile or shark would be lurking in every pool, lake, pond, or ocean that I swam in. It was stupid, but a very real fear…

Thankfully this caiman seems to be relatively harmless, but I can’t imagine how the first person who spotted her reacted to seeing a living alligator swimming through a pond near downtown Denver.

I’d be confused, scared, and concerned, to say the least.

Featured Image Credit: Splinster