WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. — Alligators are common in Florida and in the swampy regions of the South. But in Pennsylvania? That’s rare.
A pet alligator measuring between 3 and 4 feet escaped from its enclosure Thursday and slipped into the Susquehanna River, WGAL reported. The reptile, named Oscar, was captured by its owner on Friday morning, the television station reported.
Several residents reported sighting the alligator in the river, and a Facebook group named “Find TOBY in PA” posted about the wayward reptile.
Borough officials in Wrightsville said it is legal for someone in the area to have an alligator, WGAL reported.
“It is legal to own most exotic reptiles, including alligators, in Pennsylvania,” Mike Parker, communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, told the Patriot-News. “What is illegal is to release them in Pennsylvania.”
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