Posted on 06/10/2024 6:18:18 AM PDT by Red Badger
Two friends in Wisconsin couldn't believe their eyes when they saw an alligator in their front yard, only a 10 minute drive over the state line from Dubuque.
HAZEL GREEN, Wisconsin (KWWL) -- Two friends in Wisconsin couldn't believe their eyes when they saw an alligator in their front yard, only a 10 minute drive over the state line from Dubuque.
It was a scene that most people think they would only see in Florida. Instead, Sara Wagner and her friend Suzanne came across an alligator in the front yard of a Wisconsin neighborhood.
At first they thought it was a squirrel, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was a young American Alligator, which was confirmed by experts at the National Mississippi River Museum.
Mark Beshel, Curator of Freshwater Fish and Herpetology at the National Mississippi River Museum, explained more to KWWL.
Beshel said, "So depending on whether it was a male or female, a male American Alligator can reach lengths of over 12 feet long and well over 600 pounds."
He explained that these alligators continue to grow throughout their entire lives and can live up to 70 years. The current female Alligator at the river museum is in her 50s.
Only measuring about 2.5 feet and likely not fully grown yet, the sight still surprised Wagner and her husband, and left them wondering how it got there.
After Wagner's husband John safely captured it in a cat cage, neighbors called the Wisconsin DNR to come pick it up.
She told KWWL, "We were both in disbelief, um, just looked down, and, it's like oh boy, called the men folk and said you gotta come check this out."
It was not something the DNR officer was expecting either, as this was the first alligator call he has ever experienced. Their hope for the alligator is to give it a proper chance at life and hopefully get it back to the natural habitat in the state it belongs in.
Malachi Schmitz, the Conservation Warden with the Wisconsin DNR, told KWWL, "My guess is that it is someone's pet that they either let go because they couldn't take care of it anymore, or, it got out at some point, but, we do think it was someone's pet because there are no current wild alligator populations in the state of Wisconsin or anywhere near Wisconsin."
While it's still a mystery as to how the little guy got there, the Wisconsin DNR worked diligently and found a place that can properly handle the alligator's needs.
It is! ❤️
gators migrate North to escape the hot Florida summer
“Why are those Iowans driving gators to Wisconsin?”
Either for the tax breaks or to trade them in for some 7-year Cheddar! ;)
I prefer living in environments where gators can thrive.
Awwwww, it’s just a baby.
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