A massive eight-foot long alligator named Big Mack was removed from a basement in a Philadelphia home where he’d been kept for more than a decade after his owners split up.
The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT) were called to a property last week after Yali, who only provided her first name, wanted her husband’s 127-pound reptile out following their separation.
They took Big Mack in as a baby in 2011 but it is unclear if they bought the reptile before housing him in a makeshift enclosure in a padlocked basement.
Animal protection officers had to wrestle with him and tie him up before three people carried him out of the property.
The 12-year-old reptile has now found a makeshift home in the ACCT’s shelter with plenty of space and his enclosure is complete with an indoor pool and heat lamps.
It is illegal to own an exotic animal with a propensity to be dangerous in Philadelphia but the ACCT will not be pursuing any criminal charges against Yali or her ex.
An eight-foot long alligator named Big Mack was removed from a Philadelphia basement where he’d been kept for more than a decade after his owners split up
It took three animal protection officers to wrestle Big Mack from his basement enclosure and into the animal control truck
Yali (pictured) wanted her husband’s 127-pound reptile out after their separation and the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia were called to rescue the reptile
Yali called the ACCT to rescue the alligator and told CBS News Philadelphia: ‘I wanted him out of here.
She reportedly didn’t want anything to do with the reptile and he hadn’t been fed for up to a month.
‘My husband had him since 2011,’ Yali told CBS News Philadelphia. ‘We’ve had him all these years, been in the basement.’
Criminal charges are not being pursued against the couple because the ACCT in Philadelphia would rather people reach out for help instead of being scared of punishment.
Sarah Barnett, Executive director of ACCT Philadelphia, said they were expecting Big Mack to be much smaller and five-feet long.
‘When we walked up to the padlock, there was this little window on the door, like you see in these prisons in movies,’ she told Fox News Digital.
‘We all kind of peered in, and we just went, “Oh crap”.’
The reptile was in stress and was hissing and twisting around in the basement.
‘It just made me sad because these animals are smart,’ Barnett said.
‘They’re not dumb animals, so it was just sad to see an animal like that in an environment that is less than ideal when they deserve so much more.
‘You wish you could explain to him, “No, we’re actually taking you somewhere better.” So, we got him into the truck and it wasn’t super graceful.’
It took three people to wrestle Big Mack from his basement enclosure and into the animal control truck.
One person had to sit on the animal’s back to restrain him, Barnett was sitting on the tail while another taped its mouth.
The 12-year-old reptile has now found a makeshift home in the ACCT’s shelter with plenty of space and his enclosure is complete with an indoor pool and heat lamps
Big Mack was filmed taking what is likely his first swim in years
He will stay in the temporary space before he is moved to a permanent home at the Jupiter Alligator and Wildlife Sanctuary in Florida
The original plan was for Big Mack to be transferred to a sanctuary in Michigan but he was too big for the plane.
Barnett said: ‘We didn’t have a container big enough for him and the plane wasn’t big enough for him, so we took him in, but we had to pivot and think about what would be the best alternative.’
So the animal rescue team created a temporary habitat for him at their shelter where was filmed taking what is likely his first swim in years.
‘He actually submerged his head, which is what they do to alleviate stress, apparently,’ Barnett said.
‘So just the fact that he was comfortable enough and you could just sense that he was relaxed.’
He will stay there before he is moved to a permanent home at the Jupiter Alligator and Wildlife Sanctuary in Florida.
Barnett added: ‘What’s cool about the sanctuary is they’ve got these amazing holding pools for the alligators.
‘They get to live their natural life. It’s not like they are out being paraded around. They’re just getting to be natural crocodiles and alligators which is really awesome.’
Big Mack is the third alligator rescued in Philadelphia by the ACCT this month.
