NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The state Department of Environmental Conservation seized a 750-pound alligator found illegally kept inside an Upstate New York residence on Wednesday.
The owner of the residence in Hamburg allegedly built a separate addition to his house and installed an in-ground swimming pool.
Without a permit, the suspect kept an 11-foot-long roughly 30-year-old alligator inside the pool and allegedly allowed people to enter the water to interact with the unsecured animal, the DEC said Thursday.
Although the suspect formerly had a DEC license for the alligator, it expired in 2021 and was not renewed.
The seizure was executed in the “interest of public safety and the health, safety, and protection of the alligator,” the DEC said.
The ECO declared that the alligator had numerous health-related issues, including blindness in both eyes and spinal complications.
The alligator was transferred to a licensed caretaker who will provide housing and care until a permanent solution is found.
Future potential charges will be determined based on analysis of additional evidence seized during the warrant and consultation with a licensed veterinarian, the DEC said.