A 7-year-old boy was bitten on the finger by an alligator on Sunday after a man pulled it from the gator exhibit at the Zao Island amusement park and encouraged children to pet it, Valparaiso Police said.

According to police, at 6:45 p.m. Zao Island management reported that an unknown male subject had fashioned a noose from a pole and string—used to feed the alligators—removed a gator from the exhibit, and then “invited nearby children to come pet the alligator.”

One 7-year-old boy did and the alligator bit him on the right index finger, police said.

“The male subject who removed the alligator then put the alligator back in the exhibit and left the area with a female subject,” police said.

EMS personnel were called to the scene and treated the boy.

The suspect remained unidentified but investigators did learn the name of his female companion, who, however, “was extremely uncooperative and would not provide information,” would say only that the suspect was “just a friend” and she did not know his last name, and variously gave his first name as Tony and Tommy, police said.

Security camera footage shows the suspect leaving Zao Island, walking south through the parking lot, and entering a dark-colored extended cab pickup truck accompanied by his female companion and four children, at least one of whom the male suspect was seen to be carrying, police said. The vehicle left the scene northbound on Horse Prairie Ave.

A copy of the VPD’s report was to be forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources.