An ailing alligator was seized from a home in New York State where it was being kept illegally, officials said.
Environmental conservation police officers seized the 750-pound (340kg), 11-foot-long (3.4 metres) alligator on Wednesday from a home in Hamburg, south of Buffalo.
The home’s owner installed a swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator and allowed people to get into the water to pet the reptile, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The alligator has “blindness in both eyes” and spinal complications, among other health issues. The reptile was sent to a licensed caretaker until a place is found where it can receive permanent care, according to a release from the agency.
The owner’s state licence to keep the alligator expired in 2021.
State environmental officials have not decided whether to bring charges.
