ACCT Philly removes 8-foot alligator “Big Mack” from home
By BRANDON GOLDNER
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — An 8-foot alligator named Big Mack was rescued from a North Philadelphia row home by ACCT Philly. Big Mack is the Philadelphia animal shelter’s third gator rescued just this month.
This is the day when North Philadelphia resident Yali says “See ya later, alligator,” literally.
“My husband had him since 2011,” Yali said. “We’ve had him all these years, been in the basement.”
Locked in this makeshift enclosure, this alligator used to be little, but it grew to 8 feet, 127 pounds, and now that Yali and her soon-to-be ex-husband have grown apart.
“I wanted him out of here,” Yali said.
So she called ACCT Philly to find Big Mack a new home.
After wrestling Big Mack out of his enclosure, animal protection officers began to tie him up and remove him from the basement. It took three people to carry Big Mack.
“Hopefully, you find a nice home for him,” Yali said.
Big Mack’s home, for now, is ACCT Philly’s shelter.
This is the third alligator the shelter’s taken in just this month.
Executive director Sarah Barnett says Big Mack was supposed to go to a sanctuary in Michigan, but he’s too large for the plane they secured. They’re now looking at local options.
“We’re going to find placement for him,” Barnett said. “That’s going to give him the space and the care that he needs.”
And allowing ACCT Philly to eventually say, “See ya later alligator.”
It is illegal in Philadelphia to own an exotic animal with a propensity to be dangerous, but ACCT Philly says it won’t pursue any criminal charges. They say they’d rather people reach out for assistance instead of being punished.
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