Rambo may be green and scaly, but he's not like other alligators.
The 125-pound reptile wears clothes, can ride on the back of a motorcycle and has his own bedroom.
“Everyone will tell you that I treat that animal like a baby,” owner Mary Thorn said. “He doesn’t do anything a normal gator does.”
Thorn says he's practically a celebrity in the Lakeland area where they live but now she's struggling to keep ownership of her beloved companion, despite having him for 11 years with a license.
At 15 years old, Rambo is nearing six feet long, which means he's now required by law to have 2.5 acres of land available to him, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Thorn says even if she had the extra land, Rambo wouldn't be able to use it because he has a sensitivity to sunlight. When she received Rambo he was four years old and up to that point had been kept in a dark closet cramped in a tank with several other gators.
A letter Thorn provided from Privileged Critters Animal Hospital in Lakeland says alligators raised in a filtered light environment develop this type of sensitivity and therefore shouldn't be "left outside for any length of time."
Instead, Rambo stays inside Thorn's home -- but he's no couch potato. Thorn says she takes him to elementary schools, charity events and conventions to teach people about reptiles.
She says she's taught him not to bite, scratch, head butt or swat, which allows him to interact with the public safely.
"He loves kids and when kids come around he shuts his mouth really tight so fingers can’t go in his mouth," Thorn said, adding that she's been given permission to have him out and about without his snout taped shut.
FWC spokesman Gary Morse said at this point, Thorn's case is still open and under investigation, meaning there's no concrete timeline for a resolution.
Because Thorn had Rambo before the 2.5 acre stipulation went into effect, there is a chance the pair could be grandfathered in. If that were the case, the duo wouldn't have to be separated, but Morse said that's still up in the air. Thorn said she'll soon have to go to court to get that issue settled and address a clerical error regarding the address on her license.
In the meantime, Thorn said she's in a tough spot. She's had trouble finding someone with the proper license to take Rambo. She's had an offer from a reptile encounter attraction in Tampa, but because he's so docile and has trouble in the sun she's worried about what could happen to him.
“I know when he goes there he’s going to be really afraid and he’s probably going to pass away from stress,” Thorn said.
While Rambo's fate remains in limbo, Thorn is doing everything she can to keep her gator. She's looking into getting him certified as a therapy animal and she said Rambo's fans and followers have also signed a petition and reached out to FWC asking that he be allowed to stay.
“Without him, I don’t feel like even wanting to go on,” Thorn said. “Everybody is taking it pretty hard because they know how much I love the gator.”
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/gone-viral/os-florida-woman-pet-gator-20160314-story.html
The 125-pound reptile wears clothes, can ride on the back of a motorcycle and has his own bedroom.
“Everyone will tell you that I treat that animal like a baby,” owner Mary Thorn said. “He doesn’t do anything a normal gator does.”
Thorn says he's practically a celebrity in the Lakeland area where they live but now she's struggling to keep ownership of her beloved companion, despite having him for 11 years with a license.
At 15 years old, Rambo is nearing six feet long, which means he's now required by law to have 2.5 acres of land available to him, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Thorn says even if she had the extra land, Rambo wouldn't be able to use it because he has a sensitivity to sunlight. When she received Rambo he was four years old and up to that point had been kept in a dark closet cramped in a tank with several other gators.
A letter Thorn provided from Privileged Critters Animal Hospital in Lakeland says alligators raised in a filtered light environment develop this type of sensitivity and therefore shouldn't be "left outside for any length of time."
Instead, Rambo stays inside Thorn's home -- but he's no couch potato. Thorn says she takes him to elementary schools, charity events and conventions to teach people about reptiles.
She says she's taught him not to bite, scratch, head butt or swat, which allows him to interact with the public safely.
"He loves kids and when kids come around he shuts his mouth really tight so fingers can’t go in his mouth," Thorn said, adding that she's been given permission to have him out and about without his snout taped shut.
FWC spokesman Gary Morse said at this point, Thorn's case is still open and under investigation, meaning there's no concrete timeline for a resolution.
Because Thorn had Rambo before the 2.5 acre stipulation went into effect, there is a chance the pair could be grandfathered in. If that were the case, the duo wouldn't have to be separated, but Morse said that's still up in the air. Thorn said she'll soon have to go to court to get that issue settled and address a clerical error regarding the address on her license.
In the meantime, Thorn said she's in a tough spot. She's had trouble finding someone with the proper license to take Rambo. She's had an offer from a reptile encounter attraction in Tampa, but because he's so docile and has trouble in the sun she's worried about what could happen to him.
“I know when he goes there he’s going to be really afraid and he’s probably going to pass away from stress,” Thorn said.
While Rambo's fate remains in limbo, Thorn is doing everything she can to keep her gator. She's looking into getting him certified as a therapy animal and she said Rambo's fans and followers have also signed a petition and reached out to FWC asking that he be allowed to stay.
“Without him, I don’t feel like even wanting to go on,” Thorn said. “Everybody is taking it pretty hard because they know how much I love the gator.”
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/gone-viral/os-florida-woman-pet-gator-20160314-story.html