Homeowner captures an alligator to bring home and show his kids, Texas officials say

After a Texas homeowner illegally captured an alligator from Lake Conroe, he told wildlife officials that he brought it home to show his children.

The dad says he released the 4-5 foot long gator the next day, but not before a neighbor spotted it in his backyard in August, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Nov. 19 field notes.

Following the tip, game wardens in Montgomery County responded to the home, north of Houston. The alligator was no longer there, though they found something else that caught their attention — a room of aquarium tanks.

“Knowledgeable in aquatic species, one of the wardens identified the animals as freshwater stingrays, which are an invasive species and illegal to possess,” the field note says. “Through further conversation, the homeowner also admitted to removing a small alligator snapping turtle from Lake Livingston and keeping it in a tank. As the largest freshwater turtle in North America and a threatened species, it is illegal to capture or possess one without a permit.”

Game wardens say that after talking with the homeowner, he agreed to help relocate the wild animals “to better suited facilities.”

Officials say the stingrays were given to Moody Gardens in Galveston, where they’ll help “educate the public about different ecosystems and the harm that invasive species can cause to local wildlife.” The turtle was donated to Spring Creek Greenway & Nature Center in Spring, which has a permit to keep and display native species for educational purposes.

This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Homeowner captures an alligator to bring home and show his kids, Texas officials say."