Sad Fate of the Alligator That Was Found In New York State Lake
This is why you shouldn't have an alligator as a pet. Back in February, the Parks Department discovered something you normally don't see in the waters here in New York State. PIX 11 had reported that a 4-foot-long alligator was spotted in a lake.
How did an animal normally associated with the warmer and more tropical climates of the South make it this far north?
A spokesperson for the Parks Department says the animal was in very bad shape at the time it was rescued.
Bronx Zoo officials say the 15-pound female alligator was extremely emaciated, and should have weighed around 30 to 35 pounds. Even worse, officials said the reptile had swallowed a rubber bathtub stopper, which eventually lead to a chronic ulcer in the animal's stomach.
See Also: New York Lawmaker Pushes to Ban Wild Animals Like Elephants or Whales as Pets
Even with the Bronx Zoo's "extensive ongoing medical treatment", PIX says the alligator dies April 16. Zoo officials said in a statement that "the alligator was so emaciated, debilitated, and anemic, her immune system was not as strong as it needed to be and she succumbed to those infections."
Zoo officials say the gator, which was found in Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn, was someone's pet that was kept illegally and then set free out in the wild.
Can You Own a Gator in New York State?
WIVB says that NY Environmental Conservation Law only allows them to be kept for research or educational purposes, with a DEC permit. Still, that doesn't stop some from keeping them in their homes. You may hear of the occasional gator sighting near local parks or even in a backyard swimming pool.
Sometimes the animals are illegally trafficked to be sold on the black market.
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