Oregon Public Broadcasting

Animal Control officials haven't been able to lure an big reptile found lurking in a wetland area, about two miles south of Burnside Street in Gresham. Someone reported seeing the animal on Friday.

It hasn't been positively identified. Laura Shepard with the city of Gresham says it could be an alligator or a caiman, which is a smaller kind of reptile.

Mutlnomah County Animal Control set a cage-style trap, trying to lure it with raw meat. The animal hasn't responded to the bait.

Shepard says the city hasn't had many occasions to trap alligators.

"Although I've been told by our stormwater staff this is the second  time somebody has dumped an alligator in one of our stormwater facilities. People should be very careful about the pets they have, and make sure they can handle them," Shepard said.

Multnomah County does not allow people to keep gators or caimans as pets. 

If nothing happens by early next week, the city will likely call in a specialist who could try to snare the animal and get it out of the pond.

Oregon has no law against keeping alligators as pets. Shepard says this animal was likely dumped by owners who couldn't keep it.