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Florida police say inmate fed pet iguana to alligator at jail zoo

KEY WEST, Fla. — Officials at the Monroe County Jail in Key West, Florida, say an inmate fed an iguana that was considered a pet to an alligator at the jail's petting zoo.

The Miami Herald reported Jason Aaron Gibson, 40, was charged with animal cruelty Monday. He was already in jail on a vehicle theft charge.

According to The Associated Press, an inmate was feeding a sloth nearby when he heard a thump. He looked over to see Mojo, a large dominant male red and green reptile with a stump for a tail, being bitten by a 6-foot-long alligator, The Miami Herald reported.

Officials also discovered Gibson fed another iguana to the gator earlier in the month.

The jail zoo, called the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Animal Farm, is located next to the jail and opened in 1994. It's open to the public twice a month, the Herald reported. Mojo was at the zoo for 13 years. More than 150 animals, including a sloth, a lemur, foxes, goats, alpacas, praise dogs and a pig are among the inhabitants of the farm.

Some inmates are able to work at the zoo, feeding some animals and tidying up the space.