Hutchinson police have been dealing with some slimy creatures over the past few months, but not of the human kind.

The latest encounter was with a 5-foot-long alligator last week that was found in a wooden crate in a garage.

That reptile was taken to the Hutchinson Zoo, where it is being kept temporarily. A second, 2-foot-long alligator that was found earlier in the month was sent on Friday to Monkey Island, a nonprofit animal rescue in southwest Missouri.

Those findings came after a 4-foot-long ball python was found on a porch of a home July 30, and a similar snake was found dead a month later after being struck by a vehicle.

Police say it’s illegal to own pythons or alligators in the city.

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Associated Press information from: The Hutchinson News