LOS ANGELES — An 8-foot alligator that was found in a box with two cat carcasses in a suburban Los Angeles backyard might have been living at the home for as long as 40 years, animal officials said Wednesday.
After the alligator was seized, officers asked neighbors in suburban Van Nuys to let them know if any small pets had disappeared over the last four decades.
“The homeowners said they have owned the alligator since it was a baby,” said Cmdr. Mark Salazar, director of field operations for Los Angeles Animal Services. And reptile experts estimate the animal is about 40 years old, he said.
The female alligator named Jaxson was seized Monday after a neighbor reported seeing it. At the house, officers were refused entry into the yard, so they went to a judge and quickly obtained a search warrant.
The alligator was transported to the Los Angeles Zoo, where it will be kept while animal control conducts an investigation.