Alligator Found In Maryland

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5 total messages Started by Ken M. Fri, 06 Sep 1996 00:00

#1680

Author: Ken M.
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 1996 00:00

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About 12:15 this morning I was listening to my scanner and
heard a very strange call. A resident has spotted an alligator
in a yard at 13152 Reid Circle, in Fort Washington, Maryland.
(Prince George's County)

Sure enough, when the police arrived they found a 5'11" alligator
in the yard. They attempted to call emergency personnel from the
Washington National Zoo, and Animal Control officers from
Prince George's County, Maryland, but neither responded.
Fearing the alligator could harm someone, they shot and
killed it (that sucks) and it was taken away later by Animal
Control officers.

The neighborhood where this alligator was found borders the
Potomac River. 

Question: Could someone have actually kept this gator as a pet?

Could this gator have travelled from Florida?

None of these explanations make sense to me, but maybe people
do keep pets this size. 

Any explanations?


BTW: I called a friend who freelances as a videographer and he 
taped the (DEAD) alligator and it was shown on several television
stations.

=KEN=

Re: Alligator Found In Maryland

#1681

Author: Jim Ward
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 1996 00:00

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: The neighborhood where this alligator was found borders the
: Potomac River. 

: Could this gator have travelled from Florida?

Yes.

: Any explanations?

1) It was hungry, heading up the Potomac toward National Airport, and got
   lost.

2) Marion Barry's Alligator Emergency Warning Office has stopped working.
   Someone should check to see if any D.C. employees are still looking out
   for Tidal Waves and listening for Earthquakes.

Re: Alligator Found In Maryland

#1682

Author: Joseia
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 1996 00:00

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> On 6 Sep 1996 19:31:37 GMT, jfw@Radix.Net (Jim Ward) wrote:

>: The neighborhood where this alligator was found borders the
>: Potomac River. 
>
>: Could this gator have travelled from Florida?
>
>Yes.
>
>: Any explanations?
>
>1) It was hungry, heading up the Potomac toward National Airport, and got
>   lost.
>
>2) Marion Barry's Alligator Emergency Warning Office has stopped working.
>   Someone should check to see if any D.C. employees are still looking out
>   for Tidal Waves and listening for Earthquakes. 

Or maybe the alligator was looking for Chessie the manatee.

Re: Alligator Found In Maryland

#1683

Author: Rich & Leslie Sturges
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 1996 00:00

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Ken M. wrote:

> Question: Could someone have actually kept this gator as a pet?

yes

> Could this gator have travelled from Florida?

only by car, plane, boat, bus, etc.
> 
> None of these explanations make sense to me, but maybe people
> do keep pets this size.
> 
> Any explanations?
> 

SOmebody lost or released their gator. The breeding season in MD is not
long enough to support a resident population (well, not without some
serious adaptation on the part of the gators). Yes people keep big,
scary pets. Yes, many such pet owners are morons. (You should be quite
familiar with the PG county pit bull situation. The same people buy
large alligators, hot snakes, and other "cool" pets.)  It could also
have escaped from a responsible owner, though I doubt it as any
responsible owner would have had people out looking for it right away.
Too bad the gator got whacked.

Yours,
LS

Re: Alligator Found In Maryland

#1679

Author: David A. Nixon
Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 00:00

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On Fri, 06 Sep 1996 18:05:52 -0400, Rich & Leslie Sturges
<sturges@erols.com> wrote:

>SOmebody lost or released their gator. The breeding season in MD is not
>long enough to support a resident population (well, not without some
>serious adaptation on the part of the gators). Yes people keep big,
>scary pets. Yes, many such pet owners are morons. (You should be quite
>familiar with the PG county pit bull situation. The same people buy
>large alligators, hot snakes, and other "cool" pets.)  It could also
>have escaped from a responsible owner, though I doubt it as any
>responsible owner would have had people out looking for it right away.
>Too bad the gator got whacked.
>
>Yours,
>LS

I have had no problem walking my alligator around my neighborhood as
long as it is kept on a leash and doesn't eat any small children, or
pets.  Finding an apartment that allows alligatores is the only
barrier here in the D.C. area.  I'll tell you it really keeps salesmen
away, and serves as a great guard pet.

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