Police investigate report of alligator biting child in Quebec home

MONTREAL – Police on Montreal’s South Shore are investigating a complaint about an alligator biting a young girl in a suburban home.

Sgt. Jean-Luc Tremblay of the Richelieu-Saint-Laurent police says the alleged incident occurred Feb. 1 but wasn’t reported until two days later.

Tremblay says police went to the home in Ste-Julie, where they saw a preschooler who had minor injuries from a bite on her foot.

He says police are investigating with the help of wildlife officials.

A spokeswoman for the city says the alligator’s owners, who run a company that uses animals for education and entertainment, have been the subject of previous complaints.

Julie Martin says the owners hold a provincial permit that allows them to own the animal, but they aren’t supposed to keep it in the house.

Martin confirmed the same owners were involved in another headline-grabbing incident in December, when an alligator was filmed crossing a street in Montreal after slipping away from its handlers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2020