Authorities believe recent rains and flooding are responsible for an alligator found in the backyard of a home south of the border in Matamoros.
It all happened in a home off Calle Pavorreal in the Colonia Ampliacion Derechos Humanos on the city's southeast side on Tuesday afternoon.
Jose Francisco Cervantes with the Matamoros Civil Protection said authorities received the call from a homeowner around 4 p.m. Tuesday.
"The homeowner opened the door to his back patio and there it was," Cervantes said in Spanish.
Authorities safely removed the three-foot gator from the home and held it for Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) officials.
Cervantes said they believe the reptile came from a nearby drainage ditch, which flooded during weekend storms.
The animal now has a new home at the Tamatan zoo in Ciudad Victoria.
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