ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas sheriff wants to know who dumped a small alligator in a lake, where it was spotted by fishermen.

A group of anglers made the discovery Saturday while fishing at Atchison County Lake.

They alerted the lake’s caretaker, who called the sheriff’s department.

Sheriff Jack Laurie says deputies and members of the Atchison County Humane Society caught the alligator Monday using a net, a dog kennel and other tools. The Humane Society planned to turn it over to an animal reserve called Monkey Island, near Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Laurie believes that someone had the alligator as a pet but released it when it started growing. If the owner is found, the sheriff says charges including animal cruelty are possible.