3 Alligators, Other Illegal Reptiles Surrendered at Sweetbriar

On Saturday, Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown held a Reptile Amnesty Day for people to turn in illegal or unpermitted reptiles and amphibians, according to a posting on its Facebook page. Various reports said that three alligators were turned in during the one day event, held for the first time ever, according to CBS News.

"One of the illegal pets, a 4-foot alligator named Wally, was turned in by a man who told the New York Post he was 'done' with alligators," the news agency reported.

Sweetbriar accepted the animals no questions asked.

Along with the alligators, Marie Smith, Co-Executive Director of Sweetbriar told Patch by phone that an alligator snapping turtle was also turned in. The turtle is not native to this area.

"It comes from the south," she said.

Smith also said that a kind of constrictor snake was also turned in.

According to a report on LongIsland.com, the event was organized by the Suffolk County SPCA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Illegally dumped alligators can be a problem even on Long Island. In March four alligators were taken out of the Peconic River after a man drinking his morning coffee spotted one floating by, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials said.

“Alligators released into Long Island waters have become an all too common occurrence in recent years,” DEC Regional Director Peter A. Scully was quoted as saying in an earlier Patch story. “Unfortunately, individuals who attain these animals often find themselves incapable of caring for them as they grow, and they ultimately release them into the waters of Long Island where they are unable to survive and may pose a risk to recreationalists."

Scully said that he hoped individuals would take advantage of the illegal reptile and amphibian amnesty day so such occurrences decreased moving forward.

How do you feel about people who keep illegal pets like alligators and snapping turtles?