Homeowner spots baby gator near river — and takes it in as a pet, Texas officials say

A Texas homeowner was at a local river when they spotted a baby alligator, according to state wildlife officials.

The resident decided to take the reptile home as a pet, authorities said.

Recently, the Nacogdoches Police Department learned the baby gator was being kept in a 40-gallon aquarium at a local home, according to a July 19 news release from the Texas Game Wardens.

“While the PD attended to a separate matter in the home, the alligator disappeared from its tank,” authorities said.

Texas Game Warden Sean Reneau then arrived, and he urged the homeowner to help find the gator, according to the release shared on Facebook.

“They uncovered the hatchling a short time later in a blue tub hidden in the backyard,” officials said. “The owner then confessed to finding the alligator at a local river, picking it up and taking him home as a pet.”

Reneau believes the alligator had hatched about a week or two before it was found in the home, and it was only in human possession for a couple days, according to the post.

The alligator was relocated to where it was found, officials said, and the owner was cited on a charge of “possession of American alligator.”

“We keep saying it y’all, alligators don’t make good pets,” Texas Game Wardens said.

Nacogdoches is about 140 miles northeast of Houston.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Homeowner spots baby gator near river — and takes it in as a pet, Texas officials say."