Malnourished Alligator Found in Pennsylvania Creek

May 26, 2023

A reptile conservationist said the animal's condition was "one of the worst that I’ve personally seen"

Animal Rescue League of Berks County

A Pennsylvania landscaper made a shocking — and scaly — discovery on Wednesday morning.

According to local TV station WFMZ, the man was working in Exeter Township when he came across an animal that was a long way from home — an alligator named Fluffy.

The reptile, which measured at over 2-feet-long when discovered, was found in a Berks County creek, the outlet reported.

After finding the gator in the water, the landscaper contacted the police, who arrived on the scene, removed it. and later turned it over to the county’s Animal Rescue League (ARL), per WFMZ.

“The rumors are true; there was an alligator found in Exeter Township,” the township’s Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. “We have partnered with the ARL and the animal is safe and in custody.”

Upon arrival at one of the rescue league’s shelters, wildlife expert Rudy Arceo — who specializes in reptile conservation, per his LinkedIn — noted that the gator was malnourished and dehydrated, according to WFMZ.

“He's got other health issues going on, too, which I can't determine unless we get to a vet,” Arceo added, noting that the alligator is in need of lots of care.

“[Alligators] need whole prey," Arceo told the outlet. “They really need to have like small rodents, you know, with the fur, the bones, any of that dietary. They also need proper lighting.”

Arceo also spoke with CNN, telling the outlet that the malnourished alligator “should be six feet, if not bigger.”

“The owner [said] he kept it in a 75-gallon aquarium and he had it for 10 years, which completely shocked me because alligators at 10 years old are supposed to be a lot bigger than that,” he told CNN.

The conservationist also described the state of the animal as “really deplorable” noting that both its snout, which curled upward, and its teeth, which appeared to be horizontal rather than vertical, were not in good condition.

“I would definitely have to say this is probably ranking at one of the worst that I’ve personally seen, as far as a living animal is concerned,” Arceo told CNN, adding that its condition “was a clear sign of a multitude of things — improper diet, possibly even lack of UVB lighting. And the most important is enclosure size.”

Arceo added, “I’m a firm believer that people should be able to keep animals as long as it’s done ethically and responsibly,” which he said includes “making sure it’s secure, fed right, getting everything it needs and has the right space.”

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The alligator’s owner, who revealed that its name is Fluffy, is now working with the ARL to reclaim it and take proper care of it, per WFMZ.

Fluffy escaped from an outdoor enclosure during a bout of flash flooding in the area a few weeks ago, the owner informed the outlet. He also shared that he will be working with Arceo and animal control officers to ensure the gator’s wellbeing moving forward.

Animal welfare officials will monitor Fluffy’s owner and perform wellness checks to determine whether he can properly care for the malnourished gator, the ARL told CNN.