BUFFALO, N.Y. — There is an update tonight regarding Albert the Hamburg alligator.
The community-loved reptile made a nearly 1,500-mile trip to Gator Country. It's an alligator adventure park and sanctuary in Beaumont, Texas.
"We learned that today from the information you provided," attorney Micahel D'Amico said.
Our sister station down in the Bayou told 2 On Your Side that the theme park reached out to them and said the move was "court-ordered."
"The DEC has given us no information about Albert's whereabouts. I just recently learned he was alive," D'Amico said.
Albert — a 34-year-old, 750-pound alligator — was seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from his owner, Tony Cavallero, in March. D'Amico claims the DEC has left him in the dark since Albert was removed.
"I reached out probably at least five or six times. The most recent communication I got from them is that the case is under investigation," D'Amico said.
Something very similar to these FOIL documents from the DEC shows happened to Tony. Emails to the agency date back to September of 2021, with the last one being on Halloween. All emails were ignored.
"Just like in 2021, when he renewed his application and asked them for some guidance. He was never denied his permit. They just never answered him. Then two or three years later, they show up to his house and take his pet."
2 On Your Side reached out to the DEC for comment.
"Following an extensive examination and initial rehabilitation under licensed veterinary care in Massachusetts, DEC arranged for care at an authorized alligator rehabilitation facility in Texas called Gator Country. The move was scheduled only after the alligator was cleared by a veterinarian and demonstrated a substantial health improvement following weeks of medical care, an appropriate diet, access to necessary UV light, and other living conditions conducive to its recovery. Due to the ongoing enforcement investigation, the Town of Hamburg Court provided the required authorization to transport.
"The alligator arrives today at the new location and will be housed in a separate enclosure to ensure it continues to receive specialized care consistent with ongoing physical maladies including blindness and spinal conditions from decades of inadequate treatment and care. The location was selected after an evaluation of local and national facilities able and willing to accept an alligator with these specific and significant medical needs. DEC will continue to work closely with the facility monitoring the alligator’s health and wellbeing."