Several years back..........

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Posted by Matt @ Mystic Herps on December 09, 2001 at 23:35:45:

In Reply to: gators released into indiana lake posted by Steve on October 04, 2001 at 11:24:24:

Several years back i was looking to buy a baby american alligator here in Southern Missouri. I allready had a spectacled caiman, and several large monitors.

I knew that i couldnt afford a gator for the initial price tag, but would bother the local herp shop ne ways.

One day i went in there, and there was a shipping styro on the floor, i asked the owner/ friend what was in there...... low and behold, there were two alligators in there, both about 24" in length. I asked him where he got em from, and was told that they were shipped from Indiana !!! they were captured in a storm drain by animal control, and my friend took them for the cost of shipping ( 70$)

He offered one to me for 35$ to recoup his shipping costs, but i had to refuse at the time. I didnt go back there for a couple weeks so that way i KNEW it would be sold and that i wouldnt be tempted again to buy it......... that worked out very well, as the next time i went in there it was sold....... and to be forgotten

My future X wife and i were out on a drive, and i spied a pet store that i had never been in before...... so being the type of person that i am, i HAD to stop in.

I looked around the very small shop, and saw on the floor, a large rubber maid container with the lid on, and a lable reading "american alligator 99$" i popped open the lid, and it was the SAME ONE.........

I told him i coulda bought it for 35$ ..... he looked at me and said " I will sell it to ya for 35$ "

Come to find out after speaking to him, he sold it to a 14 year old kid WITH parental permission ( they were with him when they got it) and then the kid took it to another pet store to buy it a leash and harness !!!!!!!! well, needless to say, it bit the kid, kids parents didnt like that, so they took it back to the store....... it was sold to them "no returns, no refund" he took the animal back, but didnt refund them !!!!!

SOOOOoooooooooooo, i bought it :)

It lived with me for over a year, and grew to 4' in length before i sold it to another keeper........he kept it for a few years, and it since has went to a zoo.

Matt

: Recently in our town Three high school kids took it upon theirselves to try to recreate the movie lake placid....residents that live on a local lake gave numerous reports of alligators spotted swimming in the lake. I didn't believe it at first, but a buddy of mine that is a DNR officer invited me to go with him at night and try to look for these alligators. Within two hours we spotted and capture the culprits. 2 small alligators-both under two feet long.....petty as it seems, it caused a real commotion around here-both alligators now reside at my home. The guys that released them are facing public endangerment charges as well as charges of releasing a non-native species.

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: Several years back i was looking to buy a baby american alligator here in Southern Missouri. I allready had a spectacled caiman, and several large monitors. : I knew that i couldnt afford a gator for the initial price tag, but would bother the local herp shop ne ways. : One day i went in there, and there was a shipping styro on the floor, i asked the owner/ friend what was in there...... low and behold, there were two alligators in there, both about 24" in length. I asked him where he got em from, and was told that they were shipped from Indiana !!! they were captured in a storm drain by animal control, and my friend took them for the cost of shipping ( 70$) : He offered one to me for 35$ to recoup his shipping costs, but i had to refuse at the time. I didnt go back there for a couple weeks so that way i KNEW it would be sold and that i wouldnt be tempted again to buy it......... that worked out very well, as the next time i went in there it was sold....... and to be forgotten : : My future X wife and i were out on a drive, and i spied a pet store that i had never been in before...... so being the type of person that i am, i HAD to stop in. : I looked around the very small shop, and saw on the floor, a large rubber maid container with the lid on, and a lable reading "american alligator 99$" i popped open the lid, and it was the SAME ONE......... : I told him i coulda bought it for 35$ ..... he looked at me and said " I will sell it to ya for 35$ " : Come to find out after speaking to him, he sold it to a 14 year old kid WITH parental permission ( they were with him when they got it) and then the kid took it to another pet store to buy it a leash and harness !!!!!!!! well, needless to say, it bit the kid, kids parents didnt like that, so they took it back to the store....... it was sold to them "no returns, no refund" he took the animal back, but didnt refund them !!!!! : SOOOOoooooooooooo, i bought it :) : It lived with me for over a year, and grew to 4' in length before i sold it to another keeper........he kept it for a few years, and it since has went to a zoo. : : Matt : : : Recently in our town Three high school kids took it upon theirselves to try to recreate the movie lake placid....residents that live on a local lake gave numerous reports of alligators spotted swimming in the lake. I didn't believe it at first, but a buddy of mine that is a DNR officer invited me to go with him at night and try to look for these alligators. Within two hours we spotted and capture the culprits. 2 small alligators-both under two feet long.....petty as it seems, it caused a real commotion around here-both alligators now reside at my home. The guys that released them are facing public endangerment charges as well as charges of releasing a non-native species.

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