Suffolk County officials are searching for the owner of a 30-inch alligator that they say was dropped off at a Long Island home.
A person dropped off the 3-year-old alligator at the home of a woman who used to work for an animal rescue group, said SPCA Chief Roy Gross. It is illegal to own an alligator in New York, and the woman called the Suffolk County SPCA to have them pick up the creature, which can be expected to grow about one foot each year, Gross said.
The owner could face a Department of Environmental Conservation violation, Gross said. That's better than the punishment the owner could have faced if the animal was released into the wild: criminal charges and jail time.
“These animals are illegal, they are very dangerous, and they can also carry diseases,” said Gross. “These are not the right kind of pet to have.”
Last year, the Suffolk County SPCA rescued more than 20 alligators and dangerous reptiles, Gross said.
Early this year, a 15-inch alligator was captured in Yaphank. The alligator bit a male civilian before it was captured.
