A bizarre discovery led to the arrest of a Marion County resident after officers found two live alligators in his backyard swimming pool. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) most recent law enforcement report, officers received a tip regarding the potential illegal keeping of alligators at the residence.
Officers arrived at the home to conduct an interview. Although the subject, who was not named in the report, initially denied any knowledge of the alligators, he later admitted to having two live alligators in his pool after further questioning. Upon further investigation, officers also uncovered a recently killed alligator and several freshwater slider turtles on the property.
The man was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of an alligator, one count of unlawful take of an alligator, and one count of unlawful take of slider turtles.
Although many Floridian properties are naturally home to alligators, Florida has strict regulations on actually owning alligators as pets. To legally possess an American alligator, individuals must obtain a Class II Personal Pet License from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).