Teen Finds Alligator Dumped in Plastic Container Next to His Home

An investigation has been launched after an alligator was found abandoned on a residential street in New Jersey.

On January 15, Monmouth County SPCA responded to a call after a teen boy stumbled on the animal while walking between houses on Bangs Ave, Neptune, New Jersey.

The executive director of the MCSPCA, Ross Licitra, told Newsweek: "A young boy was walking between houses by an empty lot on Bangs Avenue and he saw what appeared to be a rubber-made container that he'd never seen before. He wound up looking inside of it and when he did, he discovered the alligator."

The animal was surrounded by what appeared to be Christmas decorations and other discarded items and was thankfully unharmed.

After discovering the alligator, the boy told his parents, who reported it to police officers that then notified Monmouth County SPCA.

"It is illegal to have an alligator in the state of New Jersey," said Licitra. "You have to be permitted to do so by the New Jersey Wildlife Division and no one that we know of has any permits other than zoos and people with the authority to hold an animal like this."

The alligator was brought back to the Monmouth County SPCA shelter and given a clean tank in a climate-controlled area.

"The alligator is in really good condition," explained Licitra. "But thank god we were able to get it before it died because it was really cold out."

The case is now being actively investigated as animal cruelty by law enforcement.

"We're working on clues right now," said Licitra. "Obviously someone doesn't just leave an alligator in between houses by accident. We're actively and aggressively pursuing this case because we really want to know who would be so cruel to abandon this animal, knowing full well that it would likely die."

The alligator will be collected by the Division Official Wildlife, properly re-homed and cared for.

"They're going to take custody of this alligator. It's a beautiful specimen, about three feet long," said Licitra. "They will to take it to the proper place, likely a zoo or to someone who can properly care for these types of animals."

The Monmouth County SPCA shared an appeal for information about the abandoned alligator on their Facebook page where users shared their reactions.

"Some irresponsible person got this poor critter and then realized they could no longer properly care for it so just dumped it out in the cold," said one commenter on Facebook. "Some humans are just despicable."

Another commenter wrote: "It was freezing out. Poor thing. Some people are so heartless and stupid."