The G.A.T.O.R. Project:

A Solution to Michigan’s Alligator Dilemma

Volunteers and Employees of The Creature Conservancy

Abstract

The abuse and abandonment of dogs and cats are unfortunately common problems. Increasingly, this neglect extends to exotic animals, including alligators. Because Michigan does not regulate the ownership of these large carnivores, alligators and their kin are not only showing up regularly at animal shelters, they are being dumped in our waterways. The solution is relatively simple, the ownership of all crocodilians should be regulated by the State of Michigan. To prevent abuse and abandonment, the possession of these large, long-lived, and potentially dangerous animals should be limited to people or institutions that can demonstrate they are capable of managing them safely and properly.

Key words: alligator, crocodilians, Michigan alligator bill, abuse, abandonment

The G.A.T.O.R. Project: A Solution to Michigan’s Alligator Dilemma

The issue at hand is that the State of Michigan currently has no regulation pertaining to the possession of alligators, caimans, crocodiles, and their kin (collectively referred to as crocodilians). An estimated five-thousand alligators live as pets in Michigan (Kelliher, 2019). It is increasingly common for these exotic pets to be released into the wild at some point in their lengthy lives; the reality of this decision is that doing so is imposing a danger to people living nearby, troubling for the ecosystem, and a death sentence for the animal. As recently as September 2019, an alligator was found abandoned in a pond behind a public school (Elassar, 2019). Even though some townships and municipalities have exotic animal ordinances, they fail to cover animals like crocodilians because it never occurred to administrators that anyone would privately own such creatures. Our mission is to secure a better future for crocodilians through drafting a law that would require a permit in order to privately own these animals. This proposal includes: establishing a standard of care, appropriate safety measures, and disposition plan.

The vast majority of people possessing these predators are ill-equipped to properly and safely care for these animals. Given the size of even the smallest crocodilian species, their aggressive/defensive nature, and their longevity, each privately-owned crocodilian poses potential risks that are certain to cause serious problems when mismanaged.

Challenges associated with owning these animals affect not only the animals themselves, but also their owners and even the public at large in cases where these unwanted and often neglected crocodilians are released into Michigan waterways. Animal shelters, rescues, and zoological facilities are affected when called upon to assist in the care of unwanted and abandoned alligators. Animal control and cruelty officers often get involved in many of these cases. Some situations surrounding crocodilians involve the police, the court system, lawyers, and local jurisdictions if prohibitive local ordinances are in place. Injuries inflicted by crocodilians affect hospitals and medical staff, while injuries incurred by crocodilians affect veterinary facilities and staff.

There is a long list of reasons why alligators and their kin are inappropriate household pets including:

Size: Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman is the smallest member of the crocodilian family and is available in the exotic pet trade. Although relatively small at 4 to 5 feet, they are an aggressive species that’s capable of removing fingers (“Cuvier’s Dwarf Caimans”). The least expensive and most readily available crocodilian in the pet trade is the American Alligator. This species regularly reaches 10 to 12 feet long and weighs several hundred pounds; large specimens can outweigh both grizzly and polar bears (American Alligator, 2019). The American Alligator is one of North America’s largest predators, they can be bought in local pet stores or easily purchased online, and they typically cost $150 or less.

Longevity: All crocodilians species can live for decades; some species, including the American Alligator, can approach a century (Smallanimalplanet, 2018). The Australia Zoo rescued a freshwater crocodile which lived for an estimated 140 years (Australia Zoo, 2010). The Belgrade Zoo houses the oldest living American Alligator that is 83 years old; this individual was transferred to the facility as an adult and is the lone resident remaining that was at the zoo during the World War II bombings of Belgrade, Serbia in 1941, outliving all other animals and zoo staff (Associated Press, 2016).

Disposition: None of the crocodilian species are particularly social by nature. Males are often highly territorial with other males. The females of some species exhibit a period of maternal care, but otherwise, they prefer to keep to themselves (American Alligator, 2019). Aside from courtship and breeding, they generally avoid physical contact with other crocodilians, unless it is to prey upon them. If a species doesn’t seek companionship from their own kind, they are highly unlikely to desire human companionship. Even the best-managed and well-trained crocodilians held in major zoological facilities present the risk of serious injury or death to their handlers.

Financial Commitment: A baby alligator typically costs $150. Add to this the cost of its initial housing, and one can expect to spend $300 to $400 on a new hatchling. The care cost quickly explodes as these fast-growing animals require ever-larger habitats (think of the large, heated, in-ground pool in a heated building that owners will ultimately need for their 10-12 ft. alligator). Don’t forget about the food, utilities, and potential veterinary care costs. Stretch these expenses out over decades and that baby gator that was once so cute is costing thousands of dollars annually, and easily tens of thousands cumulatively. Sadly, most people faced with these costs stop providing adequate care for their scaly “pet.”

Housing Limitations: Once owners have bought a house and built their crocodilian even a modest habitat, moving becomes an expensive challenge. Apartments and condos aren’t likely options for them and their growing alligator. They won’t be able to move into some Michigan jurisdictions with their crocodilian because of local exotic pet ordinances (Bauman, 2019). That's not to mention moving to one of the many states that prohibit the private ownership of alligators and their kin.

Placement Challenges: A well cared for alligator certainly has the potential to outlive its owner, but that isn’t the normal course of things for a captive pet alligator. Almost everyone who purchases a crocodilian ultimately realizes their mistake and needs to dispose of the animal in some fashion. Finding someone or some place to take a cranky, overgrown pet alligator is difficult. Most zoos cannot accommodate such a pet; they are likely to be full up with other surrendered alligators (although they may have room in a few decades when one of theirs passes away). Animal rescues typically have even fewer resources than zoos to take on these large carnivores. Most people who own alligators simply turn them loose is a pond, lake, or river where they will die when winter arrives in Michigan. The death of these unwanted animals may be a better option than driving a gator down south to Florida to turn it loose, which is illegal. Once released, a previously captive alligator associates people with food; the Pavlovian response of a large predator that associates people with food is a very dangerous situation that may result in human injury or fatality.

Most people who purchase a crocodilian do not intend to mistreat these animals. They are in fact often very enamored by these incredibly interesting and prehistoric-looking beasts. However, they are not often given good information, or are even fed misinformation by the person, pet store, or website selling these animals. Not only is the purchase typically made without good information or due consideration, but the deal is typically sealed by our impulsive human nature and desire for instant gratification. What starts as an exciting acquisition more often than not leads to a tragic ending. Alligators are incredible animals, but questionable pets.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to prevent these tragic outcomes. The State of Michigan should require permits for anyone to possess any species of crocodilian. The G.A.T.O.R. Project (Get Alligators Tangible Ownership Regulation) proposes the following permit conditions be met before any crocodilian species can be legally possessed in the State of Michigan.

All crocodilians, of any size, must have access to enough water to allow them to swim and submerge completely.
All crocodilians must have sufficient basking opportunities that allow them to dry off completely under an appropriate basking source.
All crocodilians must be maintained in a temperature-controlled environment that is appropriate for their species. The environment must be designed to allow for adequate thermal regulation via temperature gradients.
All crocodilians must be fed a proper diet, in appropriate amounts, with supplements as needed to maintain good body condition.
If more than one crocodilian is kept in an enclosure, there must be adequate room for all the animals to swim, bask, and self segregate as needed. Animals exhibiting aggressive behavior that results in injury or chronic stress must be segregated.
If crocodilians will be housed outside during appropriate weather, the outdoor habitat must also meet all permit criteria and additionally have a secondary containment fence that is at least 6 feet tall and at least 5 feet from the primary containment structure at every point.
All crocodilian species must be microchipped by the time they reach five pounds or a snout-vent length of one foot. The microchip data must be included in the permit application and subsequent renewal forms.
Any person or organization allowing contact between the public and the crocodilian must maintain liability insurance that covers these activities.
Any person or organization possessing crocodilians must submit a written Program for Veterinary Care (PVC) signed by a veterinarian licensed in the State of Michigan along with their application.
Private individuals possessing crocodilians must provide a viable written plan for the disposition of their crocodilian(s) in the event that they no longer can keep their animal(s).
Private individuals must be in compliance with any local ordinances regarding the ownership of exotic pets or receive a variance allowing the possession of crocodilians in the affected jurisdiction.
No captively held crocodilians can be released into the wild.
The permit shall be renewed annually and include a current animal inventory (including disposition records) and an updated PVC (Program for Veterinary Care).

Those individuals and entities that already own crocodilian species would automatically be “grandfathered in” for one year from the passage of this law so that they could come into compliance with the above permit conditions. Within that year-long grace period, the individual or entity will have had to apply for and received a captive crocodilian permit.

The unregulated ownership of crocodilian species in the State of Michigan leads to tragic outcomes for virtually every alligator, caiman, or crocodile acquired in this state. Abandoned crocodilians show up regularly and annually in our waterways because the state fails to enact simple regulations to protect both the animals and people who may have an unexpected encounter with an alligator abandoned in our waterways. Requiring reasonable permit conditions will go a long way to ensure that these large carnivores are only kept by people or institutions that can demonstrate the ability to properly manage alligators, crocodiles, and caimans. Requiring a permit for the possession of captive crocodilians will eliminate impulsive purchases and require people to think about the considerable challenges of maintaining crocodilians in a safe and humane way.

References

American Alligator. (2019, September 20). Retrieved from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator.

Australia Zoo (2010, March 18) Animal News. Retrieved from

https://www.australiazoo.com.au/our-animals/animal-news/685-farewell-mr-freshie

Bauman, A. (2019, August 2). Escaped pet alligators on the loose across Michigan this summer. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/08/02/escaped-pet-alligators-michigan/1901221001/.

Cuvier’s Dwarf Caimans - Facts, Diet & Habitat Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/cuviers-dwarf-caimans/.

Elassar, A. (2019, September 22) An alligator was pulled from a pond behind a Michigan junior high school. Retrieved from

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/22/us/alligator-michigan-school-trnd/index.html

Kelliher, F. (2018, October 10). Michigan's weirdest alligator stories: Famous owners, escapes. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/10/10/alligator-found-michigan/1588330002/.

Smallanimalplanet. (2018, March 20). How Long Do Alligators Live? Retrieved from https://www.smallanimalplanet.com/long-alligators-live/.