METAIRIE – Charlotte Chauhan spotted something unusual in the canal in Bucktown this morning – an alligator. The gator was spotted near the intersection of West Esplanade and Seminole Avenues at the spot where the West Esplanade canal ends. When Chauhan saw it, the gator was sunning itself on the muddy bank of the canal, where receding water has exposed a section of the lower bank. Bucktown is no stranger to alligators, with a large one spotted crawling out of a storm drain last year.