New York alligator found crossing street during rush hour dies

The three-foot-long animal had been found in the city

An alligator which was found crossing a road during New York's rush hour has unexpectedly died.

New York Police Department spotted the three-foot-long reptile on 9th Avenue in Inwood on Thursday night. How the animal came to be there is unknown and no owner has come forward to claim it.

The police brought it to animal control authorities. The New York Times reports that, despite their efforts, the group Animal Care Centres of NYC confirmed it had died.

A spokesperson for the organisation, Alexandra Silver, told the New York Times that workers had removed duct tape which had been placed on its snout and housed it in an aquarium.

She said: "Sadly the alligator, which staff had named CockadoodleQ, died this morning.

"We have no knowledge of the conditions CockadoodleQ had lived prior to his arrival that contributed to his death."

The alligator gained notoriety in the city after police officers posted a photo on Twitter of their discovery.