Dead Alligator Found In Charleston, West Virginia, Likely Died of Cold Temps

An alligator died a long way from wherever its original home was. It was found on the south side of Charleston, West Virginia, whose frigid temps dipped into the low 20s last night.

The deceased body of the alligator was found on Tuesday, January 27 in the area of Stockton Street and 6th Avenue.
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources was called shortly after 1 p.m. to pick up the alligator from a home.

Officials say they are taking the alligator to their Wildlife Resource center to try to determine how the alligator died.

The cold temperatures may have likely been a factor in the alligator’s death, but it is not known why or how the alligator came to be in the backyard of a residential dwelling in an area that is very far north from where alligators inhabit.

A picture of the reptile was posted to social media. It appeared to be about 4 feet long and had no evidence of trauma, but died with its eyes closed while resting its head against a wooden fence.

It is almost certain that individuals had to be involved of the transit of the alligator to the area in which it was found, and it could not have lived long in the freezing temperatures and periods of snow and freezing rain.

There was no comment regarding if there were any suspects or arrests in the case.

While it is not uncommon for people to keep alligators as pets, it is fairly uncommon to keep an alligator as big as this one was for a prolonged period of time. Pet alligators are illegal in most states as they prey on other animals, and even people. They are indigenous to the southeast U.S., but never found in West Virginia.

As reported recently by the Inquisitr, a family was charged in Los Angeles with keeping a 40-year-old alligator in their home, and it was found alongside dead cats. While the family said they thought it probably wasn’t legal to own that particular alligator, they staunchly denied feeding it neighborhood cats.

The alligator in West Virginia was discovered by a person living on Stockton Street Tuesday morning. He said he could not believe what he was seeing, and when he went over to investigate, his eyes were not fooling him. Unfortunately they were not, and the sight of the cold, dead reptile was rather sad. Animal Control is urging people to come forward with any information.