he legend that alligators found a perfect habitat in the New York sewer system changes in small details, but it lingers on as a popular urban legend.

The legend in short: After a vacation in Florida, people brought baby alligators back with them to New York City to breed as pets in their apartment. But the pet owners changed their minds and flushed them down the toilet. Once the alligators get to the sewer system, they feed on rats and other small animals. They grow huge, becoming a colony of fearless alligators that terrify the employees of the city’s sewers system or people who dare to go down to the sewers.


An article dating back to 1935 helped feed the legend. According to New York Times on Feb. 10, 1935, two boys found a six-foot-long alligator as they were shoveling snow into a manhole near East 123^rd Street in Harlem. They dragged the animal out, but ended up killing it after the alligator tried to attack them.

The story of the alligators in city sewers has over the years developed into something bigger than just a legend. Some artists have adopted and used the story in books, movies, music and other media.

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