Alligator stolen from zoo 20 years ago returned
After two decades, an alligator believed to have been stolen from a Texas zoo was recently recovered when it was found at a nearby residence.
The 8-foot (2.5-meter) reptile, named Tewa, was likely taken by a former Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo volunteer, authorities said. The Texas Game Warden located it close to Austin on Friday and brought it back to the New Braunfels zoo on Monday.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the alligator was taken when it was an egg or a hatchling and kept in a backyard about 50 miles from the zoo for “many years” without the necessary permits.
The homeowner who kept the alligator has been given two citations by authorities. They have not been publicly named.
The zoo has introduced Tewa to the other alligators and has reportedly adjusted well to her new surroundings since being returned. Tewa will spend the rest of her life at the facility.
The Texas Game Warden urged the public not to keep alligators as pets, saying “Alligators don’t make good pets, y’all.”