Idaho Resident Finds and Wrangles Alligator While Walking Their Dog

Shafiq Najib
·2 min read
3
Headline: Idaho Resident Discovers a 3.5-Foot Alligator While Walking Their Dog https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/fish-and-game-officer-picks-alligator-new-plymouth?fbclid=IwAR0ul-uKqPiOIktXLt9TlYbhCGQ5CYr8e7BV9kSIIIs6BGyU8et1a6CBGzY
Headline: Idaho Resident Discovers a 3.5-Foot Alligator While Walking Their Dog https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/fish-and-game-officer-picks-alligator-new-plymouth?fbclid=IwAR0ul-uKqPiOIktXLt9TlYbhCGQ5CYr8e7BV9kSIIIs6BGyU8et1a6CBGzY

Idaho Department of Fish and Game/Brian Marek

A New Plymouth, Idaho resident, discovered a live alligator while walking their dog at night.

The reptile, not native to the state of Idaho, is now in the custody of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which is searching for who might own the alligator.

The dog walker was on a routine stroll with their pet on Oct. 20 "when they spotted something moving the brush and discovered the 3.5-foot alligator," according to a statement from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The department added that the person who found the gator managed to capture and load the reptile into a horse trailer.

After securing the out-of-place animal, the dog walker contacted the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Officer Brian Marek responded to the call and helped collect the alligator.

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After picking up the alligator, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game launched an investigation into the gator's origins and put a call out to the public for information regarding the alligator and how the reptile ended up in Idaho. Those with information should contact the Idaho Southwest Regional Office.

"In all likelihood, this alligator got loose from someone, and we are interested in finding the owner," regional conservation officer Matt O'Connell explained in a statement.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, possessing alligators without proper permits is illegal in Idaho.

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Per the National Wildlife Federation, an American alligator can grow to be over 12 feet in length and 1,000 pounds. The reptiles are native to the coastal wetlands of the U.S. Southeast.