Pets
Alligator Abandoned In Jersey Shore Town Has New Home At Zoo
A man found the three-foot-long alligator inside a plastic tub in an empty lot next to his home on Sunday. Officials still seek its owner.
NEPTUNE TWP., NJ — The young alligator found abandoned inside a plastic container on a cold night in Neptune Township has a new home at a Jersey Shore zoo, Monmouth County SPCA said.
The gator will take residence at the Cape May Park & Zoo after being transferred to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, according to the Monmouth County SPCA. The free zoo is in Cape May Court House.
The SPCA's Humane Law Enforcement Division is still investigating who owned the three-foot-long reptile and left it in the plastic tub.
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A resident, Angel Rosario, spotted a storage container on an empty lot next to his home on Bangs Avenue on Sunday night. He called 911 and Monmouth County SPCA Animal Control was dispatched. Read more: Alligator Found In Jersey Shore Town In Freezing Temps Sunday
Animal control confirmed that a juvenile alligator was left in the plastic tub, on an evening when the temperature dipped below freezing.
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“It is illegal for New Jersey residents to keep alligators or caimans, which are considered potentially dangerous exotic species. Not only is it a danger to the public, but these animals, when kept in captivity, need very specific care that only professionals can provide," said Monmouth County SPCA director Ross Licitra.
The young alligator was brought back to the shelter and given a clean tank that allowed proper air circulation and is being kept in a climate-controlled area.
"Happy to report that this little cold-blooded cutie was picked up and will be heading over to Cape May Zoo," the SPCA said on Tuesday afternoon. "Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!"
Neptune Police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office have not released further information about a suspect as of Tuesday afternoon.
The MCSPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division is seeking any information about who may have abandoned the gator.
Anyone with information on its owner is asked to call MCSPCA Humane Law Enforcement Chief Mike Goldfarb at 732-440-1539. Calls may remain anonymous.
Patch's Carly Baldwin contributed to this report and wrote the original article.
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