The reptile was found in a plastic storage container
A man in New Jersey was left shocked when he found a young alligator abandoned in a parking lot adjacent to his home, Fox News reported. The reptile was found on January 15 in a plastic storage container that was left in an empty lot in Neptune, New Jersey, according to the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA).
When New Jersey resident Angel Rosario opened the container, he found a 3-foot-long juvenile alligator inside it and immediately called 911 and animal control. The gator was then brought to a shelter at the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty where it was given a clean tank and a climate-controlled living space.
Detailing the incident, MCSPCA shared the pictures of the alligator and wrote, '' Late last night, a juvenile alligator was abandoned in a plastic container in an empty lot on Bangs Ave in Neptune. MCSPCA Animal Control responded promptly when a good Samaritan called it in after discovering the container next to his home. 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. The alligator will be transferred to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife shortly.''
See the pictures here:
The MCSPCA also said in its Facebook post that it is "illegal" for New Jersey residents to keep alligators or caimans as pets as both animals are "potentially dangerous exotic species." The organization added that the creatures are not only a "danger to the public" but need "very specific care that only professionals can provide" when in captivity.
Meanwhile, the SPCA's Humane Law Enforcement Division is still seeking information on who owned the three-foot-long reptile and left it in the plastic tub. Anyone found guilty of dumping the gator could face animal cruelty charges.
According to a Metro report, alligators are not native to New Jersey, and cannot survive in frigid winters. The temperature on Sunday night dipped below freezing after the gator was found.
As per Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, American alligators can grow to be more than 11 feet in length and over 1,000 pounds. They are usually found in freshwater, and slow-moving rivers, and also live in swamps, marshes and lakes.