A man who kept a sick, 11-foot-long, 750-pound alligator in a pool inside his home invited children to swim with the giant.
The 34-year-old crocodile was seized on Wednesday from a home in Hamburg, US, which was equipped with an underground pond-like swimming pool.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation said the owner “allegedly allowed members of the public into the water to pet the unsecured alligator.”
Authorities said the huge crocodile was suffering from numerous health problems, including blindness in both eyes and spinal complications when it was taken out of the house.
The owner's alligator permit from the state expired in 2021. The state then determined that the alligator holding area did not meet safety standards. Officers took action this week after learning “how severe the owner was at risk to the public.”
“To be clear, even if the owner is properly licensed, public contact with the animal is prohibited and constitutes grounds for revocation of the license and removal of the animal,” NYSDEC explained to the New York Post.
The long-time reptile lover is fighting the seizure of his beloved pet, Albert, who has lived with him for 34 years.
“As everyone has heard by now, the DEC and SPCA took Albert away from me saying I was putting people in danger with him. Everyone who has met or knows Albert knows this is not true,” Tony Cavallaro, the animal's owner, wrote in an online petition.
“I took care of him better than most people take care of their children,” he added.
Albert has been placed in the care of a licensed person until a place can be found where he can receive permanent care, DEC said.
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