US local authorities have released a series of images of a woman they believe discarded a small, sickly alligator at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport earlier this month.
Security footage shows the woman boarding a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train on November 1, carrying the reptile under her arm.
She's seen chatting on the phone while resting the critter in her hand and on her knee before she leaves the train at O'Hare an hour later.
She's later spotted boarding a train near the airport without the alligator.
The 60cm-long alligator was captured hours later after a maintenance worker found it under an escalator at Terminal 3.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Nicknamed "Allie" by a local rescue group, the reptile is being rehabilitated by volunteers at the Chicago Herpetological Society.
