AMHERST, N.Y. — An alligator is now in the care of a permitted handler after an Amherst man called the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) last month saying he needed help rehoming the animal.
The man initially claimed he rescued the reptile from a bad home, but later allegedly admitted to buying it to keep as a pet. He eventually realized the 3.5-foot alligator was too dangerous and difficult to care for and that's when he called the DEC.
He's been charged with unlawfully possessing the animal. Environmental Conservation officers were able to track down the original seller of the alligator in Dunkirk. That person is charged with unlawfully possessing an alligator. Officers say additional charges are pending.
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