The alligator, born from an egg stolen from a Texas zoo 20 years ago, has been returned to Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo in Central Texas. The crocodile, named Tewa, was reportedly stolen and kept as a pet by an unnamed woman, whom researchers say was a volunteer at the zoo.
A zoo spokesperson posted a video on Facebook, saying they received a call from Texas Parks and Wildlife saying they had found the missing alligator. The spokesperson said the department was calling “about an alligator that appears to have been in someone’s possession for over 20 years.” He added that the person “actually volunteered here at Animal World & Snake Farm” at the time and “apparently stole the alligator.”
Texas Game Wardens public information officer Jen Shugert said in an interview with Gizmodo that Tewa was found during an unrelated investigation into a hunting incident on an adjacent property. Shugert said Texas Ranger Joann Garza-Mayberry went to the woman’s house to ask routine questions about the incident when she noticed that the alligator was being held in a chain link cage.
The woman openly admitted that she bought the egg from Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo, hatched the animal, and kept it as a pet. Shugert said she admitted that the woman was a collaborator and did not have a permit. Garza-Mayberry connected the woman to Parks and Wildlife to apply for a permit, but when she did not meet the permit criteria, Garza-Mayberry contacted the zoo.
Tewa’s transfer to the zoo was said to be relatively easy, and that the zoo would allow the woman to visit Tewa as often as she wanted. Shugert said the crocodile was well cared for and this contributed to a smooth reintroduction process: “Not only was the owner very cooperative, so was the crocodile. It just went into the water and the living space, seems very happy and has had no other problems with its integration.”
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