Camel Safari was contacted by a citizen in Las Vegas in early July about a pet alligator that the owner wanted to surrender due to its growing size. Alligators are a restricted species in Nevada. This means importation, transportation, and possession of Alligators are illegal. The only exception for ownership is authorized entities like zoos. This meant an accredited facility was this animal’s only hope, or it would be euthanized, and DSPC was the only accredited facility willing and able to do this.
After getting the approval of USFWS and NDOW, Desert Species Preservation Center was given the green light to house the alligator to keep the animal and the general public safe. Desert Species Preservation Center reached out to several facilities with crocodilian expertise and got to work creating an enclosure suitable for the alligator. Once the enclosure was ready, the DSPC team drove to pick up the alligator, which was over 4 and a half feet long.
The alligator was brought back to the zoo, and after living its entire life in either a fish tank or in a kiddie pool in a garage in Las Vegas, the animal was able to experience the outside world in its temporary enclosure. The alligator will stay in the care of DSPC until it makes the move to its forever home, a sanctuary with extensive crocodilian expertise, in the coming weeks.
Desert Species Preservation Center is very proud to be a part of this life-saving rescue.
