DANVERS, Mass. — No, a live alligator was not lurking by the side of a Massachusetts highway this weekend: It was just a plastic toy.

The Salem News (http://bit.ly/2w3mn06 ) reports that police in Danvers got their first report of an alligator along Route 128 at around 8:40 a.m. Sunday. One person walked into a police station to report the alligator on the southbound side of the highway a couple of hours later.

The reports prompted a frenzy on Twitter.

Officers who went to investigate found a foot-and-a-half plastic toy discarded by the side of the road. They removed it.

___

Information from: The Salem (Mass.) News, http://www.salemnews.com

The Associated Press

Filed under: alligator, toy