Alligators are showing up in the darnedest places these days as more people seem to be dumping their exotic pets across the nation. In fact, a 3-foot long gator wearing a collar was found walking down a street in Brockton, MA on Sunday, while one only 2-feet long was spotted under a car in Queens, NY. In addition, the second of two gators was fished out of the Chicago River just yesterday.
“People are buying them as pets, and then they get too big and at some point they decided they just can’t deal with it,” stated Kent Vliet, an alligator expert from the University of Florida who tracks reports about the reptiles in the news.
He added that since 2007, there have been “at least 100 alligators showing up in more than 15 states (including North Dakota) where they are not native.”
While small animals don’t really pose much threat to humans (although they might bite if handled), the greatest risk is to the gators themselves who won’t survive in northern climates. North Carolina is the farthest north they are found naturally.
Although alligators can be kept as pets in some states, Connecticut law forbids anyone from possessing potentially dangerous animals. Citation: CONN. GEN. STAT. §26-40A, as well as CONN. GEN. STAT. §26-55 – Permit for importing, possessing or liberating fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, reptiles or amphibians which states,
“No person shall import or introduce into the state, or possess or liberate therein, any live fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate unless such person has obtained a permit therefor from the commissioner provided nothing in this section shall be construed to require such permit for any primate species that weighs not more than fifty pounds at maturity that was imported or possessed in the state prior to October 1, 2003. Such permit may be issued at the discretion of the commissioner under such regulations as the commissioner may prescribe. The commissioner may by regulation prescribe the numbers of live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates of certain species which may be imported, possessed, introduced into the state or liberated therein. The commissioner may by regulation exempt certain species or groups of live fish from the permit requirements. The commissioner may by regulation determine which species of wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates must meet permit requirements. The commissioner may totally prohibit the importation, possession, introduction into the state or liberation therein of certain species which the commissioner has determined may be a potential threat to humans, agricultural crops or established species of plants, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates. The commissioner may by regulation exempt from permit requirements organizations or institutions such as zoos, research laboratories, colleges or universities, public nonprofit aquaria or nature centers where live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates are held in strict confinement. Any such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate illegally imported into the state or illegally possessed therein shall be seized by any representative of the Department of Environmental Protection and shall be disposed of as determined by the commissioner. Any person, except as provided in section 26-55a, who violates any provision of this section or any regulation issued by the commissioner as provided in this section shall be guilty of an infraction. Importation, liberation or possession of each fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate in violation of this section or such regulation shall be a separate and distinct offense and, in the case of a continuing violation each day of continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense.”
Those looking to see wild and exotic up close are encouraged to visit The Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06610-1646 203 394-6565.The Zoo is open 362 days a year 9am-4pm