A small alligator spotted along the Charles River in Boston this week has been rescued and delivered to safety.

The foot-long crocodilian became an instant star on social media as it slithered away from startled and confused onlookers.

Joe Kenney is a local wildlife educator and animal control expert who captured the alligator on Wednesday night.

He said the animal wouldn't have survived for long in New England's plummeting temperatures as fall season takes hold.

Kenney planned to take the alligator to a vet for checkup.

Officials say the animal is now awaiting a permanent home.

Kenney and state officials say the animal was most likely an escaped pet, although it's not legal to keep alligators as pets in Massachusetts.

Alligators have a history of occasionally showing up in urban areas far from their native ranges.

One, dubbed Chance the Snapper, turned up in Chicago in summer 2019 and was eventually trapped.

Another one showed up on the Charles River in the Boston area in 2010.

AP Video shot by Rodrique Ngowi.