The owner of an alligator recently seized by conservation officers in New York is fighting for its return, saying the reptile he named Albert and has shared a home with for more than three decades is a gentle giant that’s no danger to anyone.
Officers a week ago met Tony Cavallaro in the driveway of his suburban Buffalo home with a warrant, before sedating the 12-foot (3.6-meter), 750-pound (340-kilogram) alligator, taping his mouth and driving him away in a van.
Cavallaro’s license to keep Albert, who is 34 years old, had expired in 2021, the Department of Environmental Conservation said. But even if it had been renewed, Cavallaro had let other people pet the alligator, even get in the pool with him, providing grounds for the removal under the rules for keeping animals classified as dangerous, the department said.
Cavallaro, 64, sees Albert differently. His alligator was born and raised in captivity and has never showed signs of aggression toward people or other animals, he said. He recalled finding Albert curled up with his dog on the dog’s bed when the alligator was smaller.
“He’s just a big baby,” Cavallaro said Tuesday, showing pictures of Albert gripping a stuffed alligator in its teeth and resting his chin on a stack of pillows.
Cavallaro has hired a lawyer in hopes of getting Albert back, and his efforts are being backed by his own neighbors as well as strangers across social media. An online petition has been signed by more than 120,000 people and fans have created “Free Albert” T-shirts and buttons.
A friend even penned a song for the cause: “Oh Albert, please come home,” the pal sings while strumming a guitar in a video posted to Facebook.
Cavallaro has lived with Albert for more than half of his life after buying the alligator at an Ohio reptile show when it was two months old and considers him an “emotional support animal.”
Source : https://apnews.com/article/alligator-seized-new-york-albert-0fb6a00ffc1bed34ce2ff9a753a2d893