5 young alligators found in Florida house, state says. What was the homeowner’s plan?

An anonymous tip led wildlife officers to five young alligators in a man’s bathroom, and his intent was to keep them as pets, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The discovery was made Oct. 23 at a two-story home in St. Cloud, about 30 miles south of Orlando, the wildlife officers wrote in a report.

A tipster reported the homeowner “was keeping juvenile alligators in the bathtub,” officials said.

Two wildlife officers visited the home, and a search of the homeowner’s bedroom revealed “five juvenile alligators” lounging in the tub of an adjoining bathroom, officials said. The reptiles appeared to be just over a foot long.

The homeowner “stated he had caught the juvenile alligators from a pond in (a) park called the Estates near his residence,” officials said.

Details of when and why he took the alligators were not revealed, but investigators say he was tending to them “as a pet.”

Alligators can reach more than 14 feet in length and 1,000 pounds in Florida, FWC reports. Their eggs typically hatch “from mid-August through early September,” suggesting the five alligators were 2 to 3 months old.

The homeowner was given “one citation for the personal possession of wildlife without a Class II permit,” officials said.

Officers then released the five alligators alive into Lake Tohopekaliga, which is about 10 miles west of St. Cloud, the report states.

This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 7:14 AM with the headline "5 young alligators found in Florida house, state says. What was the homeowner’s plan?."