Seizure of "Sick New York Alligator"

Local officials announced the seizure of a sick alligator from a home in northern New York State, which was being kept illegally by its owner. The environmental conservation police confiscated the 340-kilogram alligator, measuring 3.4 meters long, on Wednesday from a residence in Hamburg. The homeowner had built a swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator and allowed visitors to enter the water to interact with it, according to the state's environmental conservation department. The alligator suffers from blindness in both eyes, spinal complications, and other health issues, and efforts are ongoing to find a place where it can receive permanent care, according to an agency statement. The owner's permit to keep the animal expired in 2021, while state environmental officials have not yet decided whether to file charges against him.