**BREAKING: IGUANA ALERT TURNS OUT TO BE… NOT SO ALERT AFTER ALL**
In a bizarre incident that has left authorities and residents of suburban Anytown, USA scratching their heads, a reported iguana sighting on a highway shoulder turned out to be… a stuffed toy.
According to eyewitnesses (okay, one eyewitness), a 3-foot-long “ferocious reptile” was spotted basking in the sun on the side of Highway 12, causing a stir among passing motorists.
“I was driving to work when I saw this… this… thing,” said local resident, Jane Doe. “I thought for sure it was a gator or something! I slammed on my brakes and called 911.”
Police were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they found… a plush toy iguana, approximately 18 inches in length, lying on its back, looking rather limp and unreptilian.
“I was expecting, I don’t know, scales, claws, a menacing gaze… but no, it was just a stuffed animal,” said Officer Bob Smith, who responded to the call. “I mean, I’ve seen some weird things in my 20 years on the force, but this takes the cake. Or should I say, the iguana-shaped cookie?”
The toy, which has been identified as a “Grog the Iguana” plushie, was apparently left behind by a mischievous child or a prankster.
“We’re still investigating how it ended up on the highway,” said Officer Smith. “But honestly, we’re just glad no one was hurt… except for maybe the dignity of our dispatch team, who had to deal with a bunch of frantic calls about a ‘giant lizard on the loose’.”
The toy has been taken into custody and is currently being held for questioning (just kidding, it’s just sitting on a shelf in the police station, looking rather innocent).
In related news, local residents are advised to be on the lookout for any other rogue stuffed animals that may be lurking on the highways and byways of Anytown, USA.
