Baby alligator found on Collegeville street
Collegeville police took in an unusual suspect Thursday morning.
Officers located a baby alligator measuring about 2 feet long wandering around a Collegeville neighborhood, according to a Facebook post from the department.
The discovery caused a stir on Facebook, prompting 182 comments and more than 1,000 shares in just three hours.
“That’s about 2 feet too long for me,” read one comment. Others questioned where the baby gator would eventually end up, commenting, “What about Elmwood Zoo?”
Calls to Elmwood Park Zoo inquiring about tak- ing in an alligator were not immediately returned Thursday. Collegeville police officers were not available to answer additional questions about the alligator’s fate.
The post did not specify where exactly the alligator was found but police noted that although it is not illegal to own an alligator, they remind residents that it is illegal to release an alliga- tor into the wild.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists a few of the laws and regulations regarding reptiles and amphibians on its website.
According to the site: “The PA Fish and Boat Commission’s regulations do not regulate possession of non-native species of reptiles and amphibians. So long as these ani- mals are not released into the wild, there are no state regulations regarding their ownership. Likewise, there is no state permit required to possess these animals. However, there may be local municipal ordinances, which regulate the ownership of “dangerous animals” and you should check with your local government before purchasing such an animal.”