BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Albert, the 750-pound pet alligator seized by the DEC from a Hamburg home in March, has officially moved into his new home in Texas.
Albert was relocated to Gator Country, an authorized alligator rehabilitation facility in Beaumont, Texas, after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation arranged the move. The alligator was cleared for relocation by a veterinarian and demonstrated “a substantial health improvement” over the past few weeks, according to the DEC.
Video from CBS affiliate KFDM in Beaumont shows Albert getting accustomed to his new home, including spending some time in one of the facility’s ponds.
“I know some people aren’t happy that he had to leave but if you look at the animal you get it,” said Gary Saurage, the owner of Gator Country. “All you have to do is look and see Albert and know he really wasn’t kept in the best conditions.”
📅 Timeline in the Albert the Alligator story
• March 15: Hamburg man fighting to bring gator home after reptile seized by DEC
• March 25: Amid national attention, Gator expert weighs in on Hamburg’s ‘Albert the Alligator’
• April 17: DEC: Info on Albert the alligator not being released until conclusion of investigation
• April 19: Documents shed more light on DEC’s seizure of Albert the alligator in Hamburg
• May 8: Albert the Alligator has a new home – in Texas
Tony Cavallaro, Albert’s owner, told News 4 WIVB in March that he had owned the gator for more than 30 years before DEC officers showed up at his house in March and took away the 11-foot reptile. He said he has treated the gator like a child and even put an addition onto the back of his house to make a room for Albert, fit with an inground pool.
The DEC said Cavallaro’s permit to own an alligator expired in 2021.
Albert received an extensive examination and initial rehabilitation under licensed veterinary care in Massachusetts after being seized, according to the DEC. They said Albert suffers from blindness and a spinal condition.
The DEC did not immediately know how permanent Albert’s stay at Gator Country would be.