ANDERSON — A North American alligator was recuperating Monday after being pulled out of the White River over the weekend.
Ed Roemer, owner of Night Stalkers Pet Emporium, said the reptile was bathing in a sulfate solution to cleanse it of bacteria, while basking in the glow of full-spectrum lights that simulate sunlight.
“Gators are pretty durable, they’ve been around forever,” Roemer said. “By looking at him, I’d say he’s been in the river maybe a month or so. He’s a little bit thin, but his tail is solid.”
On Saturday, John and Jolene Hannum of Anderson were canoeing down the White River as part of the White River Watchers cleanup when they spotted something strange near the west bank behind the Madison County Jail.
“As we floated by, we saw what we thought was an alligator,” John Hannum said. “It’s just not what you expect to see in the river. In Indiana.”
“We were wondering whether it was a fake one or a toy,” Jolene Hannum said. “Then, suddenly it moved.”
The couple called out to another canoer, Steve Clark, who plucked the small alligator out of the water. Volunteers contacted the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, which called in Conservation Officer David Dungan of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
“I was familiar with Mr. Roemer and his expertise with reptiles,” Dungan said, noting that the DNR will soon decide what to do with the gator. “Nothing has been decided at this point. We’ll wait for somebody to come forward, but I highly doubt that that would happen.”
For now, the alligator is housed and cared for at Night Stalkers, 5008 S. Madison Ave.
Roemer guessed that the gator is a male but only X-rays can determine with certainty. It is about 18 to 24 months old and 30 to 36 inches in length. He said the animal was only slightly malnourished, but suffered from open sores and ammonia burns, probably from exposure to its own urine.
Roemer believes the gator was captured in the wild, was released by its owner and has been living on fish. He said North American gators are common in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, but could not survive an Indiana winter.
“I know where just about all the gators that I’ve sold are and that one looked like he may have come out of the wild,” Roemer said. “Someone snatched him out of the wild and didn’t know what to do with him. I don’t think he was purchased form the store.”
Reptiles are a key component of Night Stalkers’ business and small gators, such as the one found Saturday, commonly sell for $180 to $190.
Another North American gator, named Izod, has become the store’s unofficial mascot. Izod is 9 feet long, weighs close to 400 pounds and turns 21 next month.
Roemer said the store works with recent gator owners to ensure animals are properly cared for and often accepts returns.
Sheryl Myers, founder of the White River Watchers, supplied information to The Herald Bulletin that appeared in the Sunday edition. She said many group members would like to see the alligator re-released into the wild.
“I have talked to so many people who would like to see him go to Florida,” she said. “There must be some kind of release area, maybe in the Everglades, so we’re looking into that.”
River reptile — A small alligator pulled from the White River in Anderson on Saturday. A local pet store has taken the reptile into its care until the Indiana Department of Natural Resources decides what to do with it.
• Species: North American alligator
• Age: 18-24 months (estimate)
• Length: 30-36 inches (estimate)
• Location: Night Stalkers Pet Emporium, 5008 S. Madison Ave. in Anderson
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July 28, 2008
7:33 p.m.: White River gator recuperating
DNR will decide fate of runaway reptile
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