A young alligator was discovered in an empty lot in New Jersey over the weekend, prompting speculation about how the gnarly reptile ended up abandoned in the Garden State.

The juvenile alligator was found in an empty lot in Neptune late Sunday after a resident noticed a mysterious container next to his home, the Monmouth County SPCAconfirmed in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“The young alligator was brought back to the shelter and given a clean tank that allowed proper air circulation and is being kept in a climate-controlled area. The alligator will be transferred to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife shortly,” the agency shared.

Photos accompanying the post show the gator resting inside its new enclosure and in the arms of an SPCA professional.

“It is illegal for New Jersey residents to keep alligators or caimans, which are considered potentially dangerous exotic species,” MCSPCA executive director Ross Licitra said in a statement.

“Not only is it a danger to the public, but these animals, when kept in captivity, need very specific care that only professionals can provide.”

American alligators, which can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds in adulthood, are typically found in the Deep South. Commenters on the original Facebook post offered theories about how the gator ended up in the Northeast.

“Some irresponsible person got this poor critter and then realized they could no longer properly care for it so dumped it out in the cold,” one wrote.

“Wth is wrong with people. If you can’t handle you [sic] animals don’t just dump them on the side of the road,” another lamented.

The New Jersey alligator is not the only scaly creature making headlines in strange places. Last month, a Wisconsin cat owner received a shock when their feline dragged a whole alligator skull into their yard.

“He was very proud of himself,” owner Wendy Wiesehuegel told the media of her four-legged friend, Burnt Toast, at the time.