EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (MyFoxBoston.com) - A four-and-a-half foot alligator was removed from a residential home in East Providence, Rhode Island, reports ABC6.
Concerned residents sounded the alarm when they found out the man was keeping the alligator illegally. Animal control officials said the man didn't have a permit for the reptile.
The gator, who is about 10 years old, was taken out Friday morning and brought to Pure Paradise Pets in Johnston.
The officer said the alligators are a dangerous species.
"Obviously if it does escape, reptiles of that nature aren't the friendliest with humans, so it is obviously a public safety concerns," said Evan Barlow, with East Providence Animal Control.
The owner, Nicholas Lopes, is due in court next week. He's charged with possessing an alligator without a permit for exotic animals.
Private citizens are allowed to have an alligator, if they have the proper permit.
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