The alligator, described as a “non-indigenous reptile” between 3 and 4 feet long, was first spotted in the Ambrose Brook at Victor Crowell Park in Middlesex County on August 23, according to the Middlesex Borough Police Department.

Middlesex County is located about 38 miles southwest of New York City.

The initial sighting prompted the closure of the park, which has since reopened to the public with no fishing or swimming allowed, Middlesex Borough police said in a statement Friday.

The police department, along with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Police and several other agencies searched for the alligator until it was finally caught Thursday night in another town.