Alligator in Wild Acres??? (Wyoming: for sale, new home, living in)

[KarenRice]

I heard today that there is an alligator living in Wild Acres Lake in Dingmans Ferry. Supposedly it was a pet that escaped or was abandoned.

Anyone have anything to verify this? How long has it been living there? I've tried googling it but found stuff like "Pike County Is Home To the Only Commercial Alligator Farm in Arkansas" and other less than helpful stuff. (There are a lot of Pike County's across the nation..ol' Zeb got around! LOL)

Thanks for any help or info!

[DE_NePA]

It would not survive the first winter. Cold blooded, and non-hibernating

[Jungle George]

I agree...the poor thing will not live through the winter.

It's really sad that people get animals they KNOW they won't be able to care for at maturity & then release them into hostile environments where they die!!

Down here it's the direct opposite...

People get these "exotic pets" & then release them, but with our year-round warmth, the animals proliferate!!

We've got pythons living under community pools, whole towns over-run with iguanas, & now in the farming communities monkeys are destroying the crops!!

People need to use more common sense (which doesn't seem to be "common" anymore!!) & if they have an animal they can't care for anymore, go through proper channels to find the animal a suitable new home so the animal doesn't suffer or die 'cause of the owner's stupidity!!

[KarenRice]

I understand that it's already survived one winter though.

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by KarenRice

I understand that it's already survived one winter though.

I don't want to say that's "impossible", but it would be very unlikely!! You guys get real cold & the lakes freeze over. Alligators can take SOME cold for limited periods, but with the length & severity of your winters I don't think one would survive...unless there's some underground "piping" or tunnels he can get in.

Growing up in Manhattan I remember them finding gators in the sewer system (again, pets released stupidly) but it was "warm" down there as opposed to an open lake.

Are there any "trappers" up there for catch & release?? We have special "alligator trappers" here...maybe there's an affiliation that can catch him & bring him back to his natural climate??

[Vinny536]

Originally Posted by Jungle George

I agree...the poor thing will not live through the winter.

It's really sad that people get animals they KNOW they won't be able to care for at maturity & then release them into hostile environments where they die!!

Down here it's the direct opposite...

People get these "exotic pets" & then release them, but with our year-round warmth, the animals proliferate!!

We've got pythons living under community pools, whole towns over-run with iguanas, & now in the farming communities monkeys are destroying the crops!!

People need to use more common sense (which doesn't seem to be "common" anymore!!) & if they have an animal they can't care for anymore, go through proper channels to find the animal a suitable new home so the animal doesn't suffer or die 'cause of the owner's stupidity!!

I agree! while I'm really against limiting peoples liberties, I wonder if there should be more licensing on "exotic" pets. While I'm sure there are some responsible keepers around the occasional idiot is really screwing up the reputation. Who the hell would expect to be eaten by a gator fishing at a lake in NEPA?!?

I remember the pet shop just outside the Wyoming valley mall having a baby cayman for sale. It was only about 6" long, and really interesting to look at in its glass cage but what to do with it when its 3 feet long and wants to eat your arm?

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

I agree! while I'm really against limiting peoples liberties, I wonder if there should be more licensing on "exotic" pets. While I'm sure there are some responsible keepers around the occasional idiot is really screwing up the reputation. Who the hell would expect to be eaten by a gator fishing at a lake in NEPA?!?

I remember the pet shop just outside the Wyoming valley mall having a baby cayman for sale. It was only about 6" long, and really interesting to look at in its glass cage but what to do with it when its 3 feet long and wants to eat your arm?

I agree about the licensing!! Also, pet shops should NOT be allowed to sell animals that they KNOW will not be "handleable" at maturity!! (I mean come on....it's not like people don't KNOW an alligator's gonna be a handful in 2 years!!).

Again...common sense.

A few weeks back they had a story down here about a "man-eating" gator!! It killed a man in a local lake. The story created a frenzy..."kill it!! kill the man-eater!!".

Well, turns out the idiot got drunk & decided to go swimming at 3AM in a lake!! They found pieces of him, but that was it!!

I don't wanna say "he got what he deserved", but again...common sense!! The gator was in it's natural surroundings doing what instinct told it...eat.

It's not rocket science!!

[MrPandy]

PETA will hate me for this (like I really care), but I believe in killing any wild non-native animals that are found anywhere - including those pythons and monkeys in Florida, gators in PA, and the mute swans some idiot introduced here in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay that are eating the underwater grasses and harming the native animals. Everytime someone proposes wiping out the swans, folks go crazy stopping them from harming "those beautiful creatures". Meanwhile, millions of our dollars are spent trying to help rebuild the dwindling native species.

[mbs7]

Some of these stories about alligators being released into inappropriate settings are urban legends, so who knows if this particular one is true. I have a hard time believing the gator survived the winter, but I guess it's not impossible. And it certainly would be possible for someone to release a gator that would last throughout the summer and into the fall. Anyway, some additional thoughts:

1) I would **not** expect to have to worry about alligators when swimming in NEPA and I don't want to have to start!!!! (Wow, would **that** be a surprise!!!!) Even if a released gator couldn't survive the winter, having it around for just one summer might be a problem if it was a large gator.

2) There should definitely be better regulation of these exotic "pets." If these pets are going to be allowed at all, there should be a system for tracking them; then, if someone's alligator or panther or whatever just "disappeared" the person could be given a hefty fine and held liable for any damages. Those desiring to own these pets should have to demonstrate that they have the knowledge, space, and money to care for them properly. Better yet, don't allow exotic pets--particularly the ones that could be dangerous.

3) While, as an animal lover, I hate to see any animals killed, MrPandy makes a good point. When non-native animals get released into ecosystems in which they have no (or few) predators they can wreak havoc on native animals and plants.

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by mbs7

And it certainly would be possible for someone to release a gator that would last throughout the summer and into the fall. Anyway, some additional thoughts:

1) I would **not** expect to have to worry about alligators when swimming in NEPA and I don't want to have to start!!!! (Wow, would **that** be a surprise!!!!) Even if a released gator couldn't survive the winter, having it around for just one summer might be a problem if it was a large gator.

2) There should definitely be better regulation of these exotic "pets." If these pets are going to be allowed at all, there should be a system for tracking them; then, if someone's alligator or panther or whatever just "disappeared" the person could be given a hefty fine and held liable for any damages. Those desiring to own these pets should have to demonstrate that they have the knowledge, space, and money to care for them properly. Better yet, don't allow exotic pets--particularly the ones that could be dangerous.

3) While, as an animal lover, I hate to see any animals killed, MrPandy makes a good point. When non-native animals get released into ecosystems in which they have no (or few) predators they can wreak havoc on native animals and plants.

After reading some doozy comments by people on Citydata & other forums & meeting "same-type" people in person, NOTHING surprises me anymore!!

The released exotics down here are definitely wreaking havoc with the ecosystem!! Though it's kinda cool to walk in the back yard & see a flock of wild parrots or parakeets, they are not indiginous either & I'm sure even little parakeets can throw off the "natural order"...

I can understand the "glamor" of owning something "exotic", but a lotta people don't realize these are living wild things with the instincts that Mother Nature gave them, & those instincts are bound to come out sooner or later!!

I agree that more regulation is needed for the animal's AND the owner's safety!!