Florida Man Arrested For Keeping Alligators In A Pool (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A Florida man has been arrested for reportedly keeping alligators in a pool in his backyard. It's a bad idea for many reasons!
It turns out, it wasn't just alligators he was keeping on his property. There were also several freshwater slider turtles, as well. He's not Joe Exotica but he's definitely up for the running for Florida Man Of The Year after this story went viral!
Florida Man Busted Keeping Alligators In A Pool In Backyard
The alligators were being kept at a home in Marion County, Florida. Now, he's facing several charges over it. There remain a lot of questions, like where did he get them? Why was he keeping them? What was he thinking?
According to FOX 35 Orlando, wildlife officers arrived at the home in Marion County after receiving a tip about him possibly having two alligators in a pool in his backyard. At first, he reportedly denied having any alligators on his property, but he later admitted that the reptiles were, indeed, in his pool. During their investigation on the property, law enforcement also found an alligator that had been recently killed along with several freshwater slider turtles.
The man was not immediately identified but was taken into custody on two charges of possession of an alligator, and one charge of unlawful take of slider turtles, per FOX 35 Orlando. It remains unclear where he got the animals. Keeping dangerous animals like alligators on your property can be dangerous for not only you--but your neighbors and community as well! How often do we hear about these exotic animals escaping? There are already enough alligators in the wild in Florida that you have to worry about--the last thing you need is for your neighbor's pets to get loose and eat your dog. Hey, it happens!
It reminds me of that Crazy Chimp Lady documentary series currently streaming on HBO. People love chimps, and they're adorable and so human-like that they start to raise them not even as pets but as family members, and it often has disastrous endings as the chimps get older. There have been stories of people getting their faces ripped off and more. They might be cute, but there are other sides that can come out if they get upset! Keeping any kind of wild animal or exotic animal on your property is a risky decision and is often illegal, depending on your state and location. Keeping alligators on your property is not a good idea, no matter where you are.
