Clay Davenport
Cerebral Nomad
HOMESTEAD -- The residents of a Homestead neighborhood are used to spotting gators, but Tuesday morning a alligator-like cayman surprised them on a back-yard playground, news partner NBC 6 reported.
"Someone happened to look out the window and saw that we had a visitor," said Debbie Hodges, the owner of the property off North Gate Place on which the 5-foot cayman was found around 7:40 a.m.
Originally from Central and South America, the reptile resembles the alligator, which many south Florida residents are used to seeing.
"This is an exotic [animal]. Somebody must have had it as a pet a long time ago and released it because it got too big," said Lewis Delgado, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Hodges said her biggest concern was the children's safety. She said she hoped people were not feeding the cayman.
NBC 6's Hetal Ghandi reported that the reptile did not flinch at the trapper, which means it may have been used to human contact.
The cayman will be taken to the Everglades Outpost where it may be used in a breeding program.
Link
"Someone happened to look out the window and saw that we had a visitor," said Debbie Hodges, the owner of the property off North Gate Place on which the 5-foot cayman was found around 7:40 a.m.
Originally from Central and South America, the reptile resembles the alligator, which many south Florida residents are used to seeing.
"This is an exotic [animal]. Somebody must have had it as a pet a long time ago and released it because it got too big," said Lewis Delgado, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Hodges said her biggest concern was the children's safety. She said she hoped people were not feeding the cayman.
NBC 6's Hetal Ghandi reported that the reptile did not flinch at the trapper, which means it may have been used to human contact.
The cayman will be taken to the Everglades Outpost where it may be used in a breeding program.
Link