An 11-foot, 750-pound alligator with “numerous health-related issues” was seized Wednesday from a Hamburg home, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Thursday.
The reptile, believed to be roughly 30 years old, suffers from blindness in both eyes and “spinal complications,” the state agency said in a news release.
The alligator was being kept illegally in the home, the address of which was withheld, by a person who used to have a state license for the animal. The license expired in 2021 and had not been renewed, the agency said.
The Hamburg homeowner allegedly allowed members of the public to get in an in-ground swimming pool and pet the unsecured alligator. The homeowner had no permit for such activity, according to the agency.
The homeowner built an addition to the home and installed the pool in order to keep the reptile.
The state seized the animal in conjunction with Hamburg police and the SPCA Serving Erie County “in the interest of public safety and the health, safety and protection of the alligator.”
The alligator was turned over to a licensed caretaker who will care for it until it can be “properly transported for permanent care.”
Authorities said they will analyze seized evidence and consult with a licensed veterinarian to determine if any charges will be filed.
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