"Baby Gator, doo doo doo doo doo doo..."

That is what I will be singing the rest of the day thanks to this story out of the Metro Detroit area of Michigan.

As someone who actually really loves alligators, this is really cool to me; however, I have to stop and be absolutely astonished this even happened.

"Where Did You Come From, Where Did You Go?"

We imagine those lyrics are popular wherever this baby gator came from...however, FOX 2 reports it was spotted Sunday (October 3rd) night just taking a little stroll down a Metro Detroit Riverview street.

Officers arrived around 10:30 p.m. and were able to "wrastle" the two-foot long reptile, though according to FOX 2, they are still working on trying to figure out just where the heck it even came from!

In the meantime, FOX 2 says the critter is currently in the care of a local expert on reptiles.

Now, it's not every day an alligator is found in Michigan, but it may happen more than you'd think!

Michigan Officers Are Trained in the Art of "Wrastling" Gators

Yes, that's right, according to MLive, this gator is not the first to be seen in Michigan this year alone. Shoot, back in July of 2019, there had been EIGHT "encounters" in a little over a month.

However, MLive also shares there is actually a place in Michigan animal control officers can go to be trained on how to capture and handle them that is safe for both them and the animals.


See Related: There Is An Alligator Sanctuary In Michigan That Trains Officers 

In May of 2021 it was reported The Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Athens, Michigan where these courses are held, is home to over 200 alligators and they are currently the only sanctuary of its kind in the entire Midwest (which would make sense).

So how are there so many alligators in MICHIGAN of all places?

Yes, It is (technically) LEGAL to Own a Gator in Michigan

The answer to that burning question of "HOW!?" is because it is actually LEGAL to have one as a pet!

That's right, the only thing we could find was information about owning exotic pets, which the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Resources defines as animals NOT native to the United States.

While there are certain animals that ARE native to the U.S. that you do need specific permits to own, the Detroit Free Press, among many other news outlets, reports "Pet alligators are legal in the state of Michigan, but local municipalities may have their own ordinances against them."

Despite these laws that vary among varies municipalities, alligators only follow one absolute law...THEY are the ones that will "see you later." Their cousins, the crocodiles, are the ones that will see you "in a while."

Do with this information what you will, all I know is while I've been sitting here thinking our backyard is a nature preserve, I may just get looking into Jackson's laws on adding an alligator to our menagerie of wildlife.

What other unconventional pets can you own here in Michigan? Let's look and see!

MORE: Unique Pets You Can Legally Own In Michigan

And pets that are full-on BANNED from each state:

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

 

 

 

 

 

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