Posted: 03/28/07

"Alligators are not good pets"
Vt. Fish and Wildlife confiscates alligator from Brattleboro basement

Nicholas Briggs | contributing writer
nbriggs@smcvt.edu

A home in Brattleboro, Vt., was the scene of an “exotic” confiscation on March 7. The basement of the home contained a rather unordinary pet — a 6-foot 4-inch, 125 pound American alligator. The alligator had been living in the home for at least seven years, according to Col. Robert Rooks, director of Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

A surprise in the basement

The wardens at Vermont Fish and Wildlife had heard about the alligator through a tip from somebody who had seen it. For their protection, the family members' names have not been released; however, Rooks says they cooperated fully with Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

"Alligators are not good pets, people don't know how to take care of these types of animals," Ralbovsky says. (photo courtesy of John Brueggen, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Fla.)

Michael Ralbovsky, herpetologist and general curator for Rainforest Reptiles Shows in Boston, Mass., was also present at the confiscation.

“The conditions were not adequate for the alligator,” he says. “A basement in a Brattleboro home is not the right place for such an animal.”

The basement contained a dirt floor and a tub for the animal to lay in. The tub, however, only had 20 gallons of water — too little for such an animal to submerge under, Ralbovsky says.
       
Additionally, the alligator was approximated at 17 years old, and underweight for its age, he says.
       
“An animal of this character should be about nine or 10 feet long and weigh several hundred pounds," Ralbovsky says. " However, this one was only 125 pounds — significantly underweight due to being in improper captivity."

The family told Rooks that they had fed the alligator chicken parts from the
grocery store.

“The family cooperated very well; it’s just that they didn’t know how to handle the alligator,” Ralbovsky says. “Alligators are not good pets, people don’t know to take care of these types of animals. This is one of the major reasons that people should not try and keep alligators.”
       
John Brueggen, director of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida, knows the typical reason for acquiring such “pets.”
       
“The ultimate problem is people see a baby alligator as something cute and small — however, that small gator will grow in the order of a very large magnitude,” Brueggen says. “Anything over six feet is dangerous. Alligators are not very picky; they will eat basically any whole animal.”

Mommy, where do alligators come from?

The American alligator (alligator mississippiensis) is usually found in the Southeastern United States, such as Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The alligators are fresh water reptiles, meaning they tend to stay away from the salinity of the ocean and are more often present in lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks and swamps, according to www.crocodilian.com.

"The ultimate problem is people see a baby alligator as something cute and small -- however, that small gator will grow in the order of a very large magnitude," Brueggen says. (photo courtesy of John Brueggen)

The Web site also says that alligators can make good captives when young, but the main issues are their rapid growth rates and large adult sizes. This makes them expensive and very difficult to handle without proper experience.  Alligators can grow up to 1.5 feet a year for the first few years, and their temperament is highly docile, according to the Web site.
       
This temperament is what Ralbovsky warns about when dealing with alligators as pets.
       
“It could have easily taken an arm, hand, leg or any limb,” he says.
       
The possible danger of the animal called for an immediate seizure, during which
Rooks and fellow wardens captured and moved the alligator. He says the family had obtained the alligator when one of the family member’s brothers, who the alligator belonged to, died.
       
“Apparently one of the brothers of the family was murdered, and out of respect and maybe even in trying to keep hold of something, they took in the alligator they called ‘Al,’” Ralbovsky says.

No charges pressed

The alligator was in sub-par shape, and had a few scars on its nose from a prior move, Rooks says.
       
“The alligator poses a big harm to the public; this is why we have restrictions on what exotic animals people can legally obtain,” he says.

Although there are fines, penalties and sometimes jail time for the keeping of illegal pets, the Brattleboro-based family was not charged, due to their compliance with the wardens. 

Many exotic species are obtained through the Internet and the process is fairly simple, Rooks says.
       
“It is very easy to order anything on the Internet; some states allow certain animals, yet Vermont does not allow animals such as alligators,” Rooks says.

“The importation of exotic species into Vermont is highly illegal.” -Robert Rooks, director of Vermont Fish and Wildlife

Crocodiles, many poisonous snakes and other venomous creatures are all forbidden as pets, he says.

“We have had restrictions for 40 years regarding exotic species," he says. "People can apply for permits, but that doesn’t mean just anyone can receive one. It is usually for educational purposes."

“The importation of exotic species into Vermont is highly illegal,” Rooks says. “We
prohibit basically any animal that has a major potential to harm any individual or the environment it lives in."
       
Despite the restrictions of certain species in Vermont, he says there are still a whole slew of critters that are allowed to be brought in and kept as pets.

See ya later, alligator

Vermont Fish and Wildlife, with the help of Ralbovsky, brought the alligator to Rainforest Reptiles Show in Boston, Mass. — a family-based business that specializes in exotic species. Ralbovsky and his wife Joaney Gallagher run the business together.
       
“We do lots of work with some exotic species, we do more than just shows,”
Ralbovsky says. “Working with state Game Wardens to train them how to confiscate and seize is just one of the things to do when working with animals such as alligators.”
       
Ralbovsky has worked with Rooks and Ron Regan, director of Vermont Fish and Wildlife to train the Vermont wardens as to how to correctly obtain and confiscate all types of exotic animals.
       
The alligator’s final destination is not certain. However, it will most likely go to a zoo or an alligator and crocodile farm in Florida. One of the options is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Fla., Ralbovsky says.
       
The St. Augustine Farm has been around for 113 years and has had many of
its animals for more than 80 years. However, a few confiscations and the
more common wild animas can sometimes make their way to a zoo.