An alligator whose mouth was taped shut was found in the parking lot of a Forest Hill-area business Thursday night, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
The alligator was left outside a local reptile shop in the late evening, and probably would have died in the near-freezing temperatures if it hadn’t been rescued by deputies and the shop owner, police said.
The Sheriff’s Office said it “had most likely been someone’s pet,” because it was healthy, “friendly and docile.”
The alligator will be sent to a zoo or animal rescue, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies responded to the scene after reports of an alligator in the parking lot and got a local reptile rescue group to help with the situation.
The Sheriff’s Office notes that state law bans anyone from personally owning alligators, and Harford County code bans the abandonment of any animal.
The reptile shop declined to comment.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call 410-692-7880.
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