Alligator sewer myth comes to life with New York statue

A legend so intriguing that even Queen Silvia of Sweden came for the comemoration

(Union Square Partnership)

The urban myth of the New York City sewer alligator has come to life, in a new Union Square Park statue unveiled last week.

The statue depicts a life-sized alligator sitting on the inside of a manhole cover lid surrounded by toxic waste and trash, as if it has just been flipped up onto the outside world.

Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor created this huge artwork out of bronze. It is an homage to the century-old myth that the sewer system under the bustling streets of New York City is ruled by sewer alligators, a release from Union Square Partnership said.

Legend has it that around 100 years ago, New Yorkers abandoned their baby alligator pets, imported from Louisiana and Florida, once they grew too large to accommodate, the release said.

Ever since, countless myths have circled the story, and depictions in film and TV retell the legend of the underbelly gang of alligators.

Aptly named “N.Y.C Legend,” Mr Klingspor created the artwork in collaboration with Molbrinks Gallery and dedicated it to the “resilience of both alligators and New Yorkers.”

Swedish native Alexander Klingspor on the far right with Queen Silvia of Sweden next to him and NYC parks executives (Union Square Partnership)

The partnership said that the alligator, on top of being a fun myth, also represents New York City’s capacity to “adapt and survive,” as the alligator in many ancient cultures is admired for its armour-like scales and ability to regrow limbs.

Mr Klingspor said on his website that after living in Manhattan for over a decade, he wanted to pay tribute to the city.

The flip side of the statue depicts a sewer manhole (Union Square Partnership)

“This artwork deals with two interesting aspects of our world: our need for gods, myths, and legends much like any other civilisation prior to ours, and our habit of creating invasive species by moving animals from their natural habitats to human environments,” he said.

The rumours of these sewer-dwelling beasts date back to the 1930s - archives from The New York Times in 1935 display an article about a gang of youths who found an alligator in a manhole and beat the creature to death.

It is currently illegal to own an alligator in New York state and city; however, earlier this year, an alligator was pulled out of a pond in Brooklyn, reportedly determined to be an escaped pet.

The artwork will be displayed in Triangle Plaza of Union Square Park until June 2024.