Alligator Spotted & Captured Near Pacific Northwest Canal

A man was walking his dog last Thursday in a city on the Oregon and Idaho border when he spotted what he thought was an alligator. Yes, an American alligator.

Where was the Alligator Spotted?

The man was walking near his hometown of New Plymouth in Idaho, right next to the Oregon border around 8:30 pm last Thursday night when he spotted the alligator. He was walking his dog off SE First Avenue just south of New Plymouth, when he spotted it moving in the bushes. After spotting the gator, he decided to capture it, load it into a horse trailer, and call the Idaho Fish and Game officials.

How Big was the Alligator Found in New Plymouth?

When officials showed up at the man's house the next day, the saw it was in fact an alligator according to the Idaho Fish and Game press release. The gator was measured to be around 3.5 feet long which can still be dangerous to animals and small children. Even being small, alligators can eat up to 25% their body weight in one meal and grown fast. Alligators are legal to have as pets in 5 states, but Idaho, Washington, and Oregon are not one of them.

What States Can You Legally Have a Pet Alligator?

The five States that you can have an alligator as a pet legally are Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin according to Born Free USA. There are other states like Florida that allow it with a permit but are otherwise restricted. Attacks on humans by alligators is rare but they are usually deadly when they happen. Alligator attacks are almost 3 times more deadly than shark attacks say data collected by the Florida Museum of Natural History. If you're interested in learning more about alligators as pets, you can learn more here.