FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An animal rescue team is working to find the owners of an exotic animal found in a lake on the border of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties on Friday.
An American alligator was netted in Long Lake in Osceola.
“Some kids were playing and they caught in a net, and they turned it over to Osceola Boat Patrol,” said John Moyles with J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue in Menasha. “Any time you encounter any wildlife, whether it be exotic or native, make sure you consult with a professional like calling the DNR. You never want to really engage with an animal that you’re unfamiliar with on your own.”
Moyles says the DNR was contacted, and they reached out to him for assistance. Something to keep in mind, alligators are legal to own as pets in Wisconsin.
“[In Menasha], we can have alligators up to 30 inches in size. We were able to help because he’s only about maybe two feet, if you stretch him out,” Moyles told WTAQ News. “This isn’t a very dangerous animal. It could give you a nasty bite, but we’re in Wisconsin where we’ve got muskies and northern and things like that, that could deliver an equally dangerous bite.”
Moyles says he will look for the animal’s owner for about week before trying to place the alligator in an accredited sanctuary. If you have an exotic pet you can no longer care for, Moyles says to reach out to J&R, and they’ll work with their nationwide network of rescue operations to find a new home.
