(New York) A sick alligator was seized from an upstate New York residence where it was “illegally detained,” state officials said.
Environmental protection officers seized the 340 kg, 3.4 meter long alligator from a home in Hamburg, south of Buffalo, on Wednesday.
The home’s owner had built an addition and installed an in-ground pool to accommodate the 30-year-old alligator. The owner allowed people into the water to pet the reptile, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Protection.
The alligator suffers from “blindness in both eyes” and spinal complications, among other health problems. The reptile was placed in the care of a licensed caretaker until a place can be found where it can receive permanent care, the agency said in a statement.
The state’s permit for the owner to keep the alligator had expired in 2021. State environmental officials have not yet decided whether they will file charges.
Authorities believe another lethargic, 4-foot-long alligator found in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Lake in February 2023 was likely a “pet” abandoned by its owner.