Small Alligator Found In Wisconsin Lake, Owner Sought: Reports

FOND DU LAC, WI — After a small alligator was found swimming in Long Lake in Fond Du Lac and Sheboygan Counties recently, a search is on for the reptile's owner.

J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue said the nearly 2-foot-long alligator was surrendered to them by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

In a Facebook post on July 1, the animal rescue group said it's hanging onto the alligator for a week as it looks for its owner. After that, the alligator will be handed over to an accredited sanctuary.

John Moyles from J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue told FOX 6 News that the alligator may have been released into the wild when someone couldn't take care of it anymore. The creature may have also escaped an outdoor enclosure, the animal rescue group said in the report.

American alligators can be found across much of the United States, from North Carolina to the Rio Grande River in Texas, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Alligators aren't typically found this far north, though.

When fully grown, male alligators can reach over 1,000 pounds and over 11 feet in length, according to the Smithsonian.

J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue was founded in 2020 by Moyes, making it the first rescue of its kind in Wisconsin, according to a report by TMJ4. Moyes has helped thousands of animals in his time, according to the report.

The group is allowed to rescue alligators that are up to 30 inches in length, Moyes told TMJ4.