Living in South Florida, it’s not unusual to see alligators in the canals, in a lake behind your house, or on the side of the road taking a stroll. But it is unusual for folks in Australia to find one of our gators over there.
Vacationers caught what they, and the police, assumed was a crocodile in a volleyball net late Monday night in Pambula, New South Wales. Police corrected their original statement on Tuesday, saying that the five foot creature wasn’t a crocodile but was an alligator. It had a U shaped snout in contrast to the croc’s long, pointy snout. Typically you’ll find alligators in freshwater and crocs in salt water. Even though I have heard of people seeing alligators on the beach, and in the ocean, down here in sunny South Florida.
Now how did that guy get all the way over there? The police said that no one in the area is licensed to keep a croc or gator in the area so they’re still investigating. I bet someone took him over as a baby, then, when he grew too big for their tub, they released him, far, far, away from home. You see that happening around here a lot with both gators and now pythons. If you’re going to have an exotic pet, please be responsible with it. When you can no longer keep it then contact the proper authorities instead of letting it go in the wild – especially if that “wild” isn’t where it belongs in nature.