11-Foot, 750-Pound Alligator Seized After Being Kept 'Illegally' in a N.Y. Home
The reptile, which is believed to be 30 years old, is blind in both eyes
An alligator has been seized after it was kept "illegally" in a New York home.
Earlier this week, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) relocated the 11-foot, 750-pound animal that was residing at a home in Hamburg, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation said in a Facebook post.
The alligator, who has "numerous health-related issues, including blindness in both eyes and spinal complications," per the organization, was living in an in-ground swimming pool that the home's owner built and installed as an addition to his house.
The homeowner allegedly allowed people to get in the swimming pool to "pet the unsecured alligator," the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation claimed.
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The owner, who has not been identified, possessed a DEC license for the alligator, but it expired in 2021, the environmental agency said.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation added that the license was not renewed at the time when the alligator was discovered.
According to the group, ECOs worked with the Town of Hamburg Police and the SPCA Serving Erie County to seize the alligator "in the interest of public safety and the health, safety, and protection" of the reptile.
The animal, per the social media post, has now been turned over to a licensed caretaker who will
"house and care for the animal until it can be properly transported for permanent care."
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The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation also noted that charges against the homeowner will be determined after all evidence is analyzed and a licensed veterinarian assesses the alligator and its health.
The animal, according to the organization, is believed to be 30 years old.
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