An alligator that was discovered in poor condition has been removed from a Pennsylvania creek after reportedly being discovered by a landscaper working nearby.
The landscaper came across the small alligator in the water in Exeter, Matthew Pachuilo, multimedia specialist for the Animal Rescue League of Berks County (ARL), told Fox News Digital.
The landscaper had apparently contacted officers at the Exeter Police Department, who then reached out to a team at ARL to help care for the alligator while they searched for the female reptile’s owner.
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“The rumors are true; there was an alligator found in Exeter Township. We have partnered with the ARL and the animal is safe and in custody,” the Exeter Township Police Department shared on Facebook.
A Pennsylvania landscaper found a malnourished alligator in a creek before contacting the Exeter Township Police Department in Exeter, Pennsylvania. (The Animal Rescue League of Berks County)
While under the care of the ARL, Rudy Arceo, CEO and founder of the Venom Institute within the Keystone Herpetology Institute in Ranshaw, Pennsylvania, was brought in to identify the needs and health of the alligator, later identified as “Fluffy.”
Arceo has worked with the ARL as the “reptile expert” on call, so when he quickly arrived on the scene of the ARL, he was expecting this to be like any other alligator case he has worked on in the past.
“When I got there and walked into the room where they had the animal held at, I was in complete shock,” Arceo told Fox News Digital.
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“In all the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve not seen an alligator this bad before,” he added.
The Exeter Township Police Department reached out to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County for help in caring for the reptile, officials confirmed. (Exeter Township Police Department)
The reptile had what Arceo referred to as “duck lips,” where the snout had an upward curvature and the teeth were horizontal.
The alligator was in such poor health, that people questioned if Fluffy was an American alligator because its head structure did not look normal, Arceo shared.
Fluffy was incredibly “malnourished,” Arceo said, adding that he found her body’s condition to be “sunken in” and “high ridge of the spine and thin in appearance all together.”
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Once the owner had been identified, Arceo learned more about the habitat that Fluffy had been living in for 10 years.
“In all the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve not seen an alligator this bad before.”
“It [Fluffy] was kept in a 75 gallon aquarium and the guy had it since it was a hatchling,” Arceo stated.
Fluffy should have been between 8 or 10 feet in length, but due to the lack of space in its aquarium, she was only two-and-a-half feet long.
The owner of Fluffy thought alligators grew to the size of its enclosure, but Arceo said that is one of the biggest misconceptions he hears.
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“Their growth is stunted, and it causes a lot of serious health issues,” he commented.
“I’m not letting this go [because] that is an animal in a horrible condition. Probably the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Arceo did not feel comfortable releasing the animal back into the care of its owner, though he requested that Fluffy be taken to the vet, the owner change its enclosure and the reptile be fed by hand because it is unable to eat properly.
There is an ongoing investigation to make sure Fluffy is taken care of properly and will be regularly checked on, now that the animal is back with the owner, Arceo shared.
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“I’m not letting this go [because] that is an animal in a horrible condition. Probably the worst I’ve ever seen,” he continued.
Rudy Arceo, a reptile expert, was brought in to help care for Fluffy the alligator and was shocked by how “malnourished” the animal was, Arceo said. (Exeter Township Police Department)
It is believed Fluffy escaped enclosure following the aftermath of a flash flood that hit the Exeter area several weeks ago, Pachuilo shared.
Fluffy’s enclosure rested on a wooden platform atop a preformed pond, but the structure had been built on an angle and the owner used rocks to evenly balance out the aquarium, according to Arceo.
The floodwaters came and wiped out the rocks and brick, which caused the structure to lose its balance, releasing the alligator from its enclosure, Arceo explained.
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“Officers from the Animal Rescue League of Berks County’s Department of Animal Protection remain in contact with Fluffy’s owner, providing wellness checks to monitor her condition and ensure that she is receiving the required care per veterinarian orders,” Pachuilo stated.
“Every time I look at that picture of the animal I think, ‘I wish I could have it with me.'”
Arceo said he plans on reaching out to the owner of Fluffy soon, to make sure the reptile’s health continues to improve.
“Every time I look at that picture of the animal I think, ‘I wish I could have it with me,’” Arceo added.
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Arceo said he believes he is making a controversial statement when he says that people should not own alligators.
The betterment of the alligator is currently under investigation to ensure that the owner takes better care of the reptile in the future. (The Animal Rescue League of Berks County/Exeter Township Police Department)
Most people do not have the necessary indoor and eventual outdoor space to required to humanely keep and care for an alligator, because it will continue to grow, Arceo noted.
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Arceo said if someone finds themselves in a position where they can no longer care for a reptile of this size, the individual should research rescues in their area and bring the animal to a worthy establishment.
