On August 14, Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Tom Koepf received a call from a local wildlife rehabilitator reporting that a woman in the town of Mamakating had contacted her as she wished to turn over two alligators that she and her son had been raising as pets.

The rehabilitator met with the woman at her home and collected the two alligators, measuring approximately three to four feet in length. ECOs Koepf and Mary Grose patrolled to the residence and interviewed the woman about the alligators.

The woman said that she had caught one while fishing in Florida two years ago, and that her son had purchased the other online from an unknown source. The mother and son wanted to give the alligators away, as they were getting too big and difficult to care for.

The pair were issued tickets for illegal possession of live crocodilia, returnable to the town of Mamakating Court.  The rehabilitator is currently searching for a good home for the animals, possibly a zoo or educational center.