Skip to content
Riot Fest
Tickets
Search
  • Tickets
  • Lineup
  • 2026 Festival
    • Lineup
    • Tickets
    • Payment Plans
    • FAQ
    • Hotels
    • Lockers
    • Festival Partners
  • Merch
  • Upcoming Shows
  • Community
    • Beyond the Fest
    • Initiatives
    • Events
    • Park Impact
    • Get Involved
    • Community Meeting
  • Search
Yes, There’s an Alligator Swimming in the Humboldt Park Lagoon Right Now

Yes, There’s an Alligator Swimming in the Humboldt Park Lagoon Right Now

Put that thing back where it came from, or so help me
July 10, 2019 (April 24, 2020) // Riot Fest

The rumors are true: there’s a 5 foot alligator swimming around in Chicago right in the Humboldt Park lagoon. What more, there’s a man who goes by the moniker of Alligator Bob trying to catch him.

After some sightings and whispering on Tuesday, photographers captured some clear shots of what is definitely a large alligator—swimming around in a place where large alligators should definitely not reside—and authorities confirmed the gator was real.

PHOTO: REN’S VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY

The gator has drawn crowds since Tuesday, as attempts to capture the reptile—led by a volunteer lovingly referred to as Alligator Bob—have been unsuccessful. It’s far from his first rodeo; Alligator Bob previously helped catch the last Chicago alligator, spotted back in 2010.

Authorities say the alligator was likely someone’s (illegal) pet before being released into the wild—that is, if you consider a man-made lagoon “the wild.” If caught, the alligator will be transferred to a zoo for a check-up. Until then, Gator Watch enters Day 2.


 

[yarpp]
About The Author
Riot Fest

Punk Rock (& more) Music Fest | I'm sorry we didn't book the exact bands you wanted, in the exact order you wanted, in the exact location you wanted, for free. September 18-20, 2026.

Posted in ChicagoTagged alligator, animals, chicago, weird

Post navigation

  Previous PostNext Post 
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Spotify
Riot Fest Tickets
Upcoming Shows Playlist
Riot Fest Presents Shows
Aug. 5, 2026
Thalia Hall
ALL

ALL

Tickets(Opens in new window).
ALL
Aug. 6, 2026
X-Ray Arcade
Of Virtue & Savage Hands

Of Virtue & Savage Hands

Kingdom Collapse

Sorry X

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Of Virtue & Savage Hands
Aug. 8, 2026
The Cooperage
Gimme Gimme Disco

Gimme Gimme Disco

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Gimme Gimme Disco
Aug. 12, 2026
Cobra Lounge
American Vanity

American Vanity

Long Gone

Tickets(Opens in new window).
American Vanity
Aug. 14, 2026
Thalia Hall
Fiddlehead

Fiddlehead

Narrow Head

Knumears

The Sissy Boys

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Fiddlehead
Aug. 14, 2026
Cobra Lounge
Pinkshift

Pinkshift

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Pinkshift

MORE SHOWS

Greatest Hits


  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Spotify
  • Mail
  • WhatsApp

NEWSLETTER — FAQ — CONTACT — HISTORY — TEXT ME

InstagramTwitterYouTubeTikTokFacebook

Copyright © 2026 Riot Fest Corporation. Privacy Policy.

Search for:

Send me emails so I don’t have to go to your website anymore.