An alligator that eluded Chicago authorities for a week has met with the media after an expert captured it using a fishing pole in a public lagoon.

About eight hours after the reptile was captured, Chance the Snapper was pulled from a plastic conatiner by the man who caught it in the Humboldt Park lagoon.

Florida alligator expert Frank Robb returns an alligator from a plastic holding container during a news conference in Chicago
Frank Robb returns the alligator to a plastic holding container during a news conference in Chicago (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

The 5ft 3in-long gator settled into Frank Robb’s grip as photographers snapped pictures.

Investigators said they do not know why the animal was in the lagoon.

An alligator floats in the Humboldt Park Lagoon in Chicago
The alligator floating in the Humboldt Park lagoon (Armando L Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP)

Mr Robb, of St Augustine, Florida, arrived on Sunday.

He recommended that the city close sections of the park to reduce the noise and kerfuffle that he suspected was keeping the animal in hiding.

Florida alligator expert Frank Robb holds an alligator during a news conference in Chicago
Mr Robb holding the alligator (Amr Alfiky/AP)

Officials said the alligator will be taken to a wildlife sanctuary or zoo to live out its days.