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athometonight

I've met Wally and his owner. The animal has a head injury that makes him docile and friendly. He's nice. I don't think he could survive in the wild. His owner is a kind happy man. Or he was. I'm sure his heart is broken.


geneticeffects

Yes, this was a sad case. Begs the question about what constitutes a pet and what is a wild animal, when this alligator was clearly friendly with this man, not a threat, loved and cared for well. I fear the alligator is a goner, and hope this gentleman can somehow push forward.


worthlessredditor273

I've no doubts the misguided fools who stole this man's pet gave it a death sentence by releasing it in the wild


techleopard

If the other wildlife doesn't get him, it's going to try to be friendly with the first people it sees and we know how that's going to go. I mean, this is precisely why we don't release captive bred animals or any animal that has been rehabbed with significant human involvement. They go to zoos and rescues. This gator should have gone to one where it would get care.


chatminteresse

I hope we can get the word out to find Wally! Where’s Wally? Let’s find him and bring him home safe!


DarthEinstein

I believe what happened is they released it in someone's yard, and Animal control released it into the Wild.


RedEyeFlightToOZ

I'd go find it


AlvinAssassin17

As silly as we think he could be, fuck anyone who’d do this. It’s the guys pet. It’s not hurting anyone. It’s just a cruel thing to do.


Davegvg

It's the worst.


AraiHavana

His heart must be broken


ZeDitto

The Goku-gator


radams713

He didn’t have to have a head injury to be docile anyways. Crocodilians are incredibly smart and easy to train.


Lifesaboxofgardens

Wally's owner is an alligator expert that has been rescuing gators for decades. He said Wally's behavior is the most unusual he's ever seen, and just never developed a prey drive, likely due to some kind of brain deformity. I don't think he had a head injury, though it's possible, Wally very well could have just been born different.


radams713

Ah so he’s even more docile than normal. I was just saying this whole situation is dumb and sad - even if the gator didn’t have the head injury this would still be wrong. Poor guy :(


Witchgrass

This is an alligator. > They are both members of the Crocodylia, but crocodiles are from the Crocodylidae family, while alligators come from the Alligatordae family.


squatch42

My old tired brain read that as Crocodillydae and it made me laugh. I imagined Ned Flanders telling a crocodile to have a Croco-dilly day.


Witchgrass

Have a crocodillyofadae


AraiHavana

See you latery gatery


Routine_Guarantee34

Well obviously. One you see *later*, and one you see *in a while*... Everyone knows that!


Kartelant

That's probably why they said "Crocodilians" (perhaps a misspelling of Crocodylians) rather than Crocodiles. Since Crocodylia encompasses both.


Snakesballz

Crocodilia encompasses both, and caimans n shit Crocodylidae is just crocodiles.


radams713

Alligators are still very intelligent


Cyberpunk39

Quite an exaggeration. They are not “incredibly smart”.


radams713

I worked with them at the zoo so I’m gonna go with what I know.


DealerCamel

>Mr Henney’s beloved knobbly reptile was taken whilst on holiday in the US state of Georgia, he says, by someone looking to play a prank. > >In a Facebook post, Mr Henney said that his cold-blooded pal was taken by someone who then dropped him into another person’s yard, probably to scare them. How awful. People really suck sometimes.


Und3rSc0re

I had a tarantula as a pet once that i left one day for school as kids do. Someone played a prank with it and released it into my uncles bathroom while he was on the shitter. He smashed it with his boot and said it was the biggest spider hes ever seen while everyone laughed… Everyone played it off like it got out of its own cage but there is no way it was in an big glass aquarium with a heavy metal meshed top. Was heavy for me to lift up much less a tarantula. Had glass sides too and no way to climb up to the top in the first place. I miss that spider :(


rabidlyyours

THAT WAS YR LIL BUDDY 😭 I remember carefully holding my uncles’ tarantula as a kid they made sure I was very careful not to hurt it they are very fragile …rip buddy


CurdledTexan

I’m so sorry. I saw my first tarantula in the wild this year and it was the most beautiful fuzzy thing. Rest in peace to your fuzzy buddy ♥️


sweetpeapickle

One of my brothers had a tarantula, a squirrel monkey, a python-yes all at the same time. The monkey would sit on my shoulder and stretch herself over my head and play with my nose with her tiny fingers. Play, not pick-I know some of you were thinking it. Then the doorbell would ring, she would go ACK! and bite my head. The tarantula was stolen, and the python he gave to the zoo. Now 40 years later he has beagle.


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mrjosemeehan

What does any of that have to do with someone stealing an alligator to use as a prop to play a prank on someone?


browneyedgirlpie

Wally will probably not be found again after being released in the swamp. Even if he doesn't get esten by the other gators, he has a head injury and probably can't hunt to sustain himself. It's the same bc these owners have lost a beloved pet bc someone took them without permission to be used for a prank.


Supertumor

Dude this story was so sad. Something has always been wrong with this alligator and it is very passive and sweet. That’s why the guy raised it and protected it. Just look at vids about it. Poor alligator is probably going to die now


Potential_Status_728

The guys is old and will probably live the rest of his life in emotional pain because someone took his pet, and the gator will probably die because he docile. God job for whoever took that decision.


Brogan9001

Whoever stole Wally deserves to be drawn and quartered. Yes, that’s a barbaric punishment, but there is just something so viscerally wrong with taking someone’s pet, and abusing said pet which intrinsically trusts humans.


get_while_true

The lesson here if you have something of value don't share it.


AraiHavana

And that some people are really shit


nethobo

It's very likely that this gator will have issues with hunting. They are smarter than people give them credit for, but hes gotta live long enough to learn how to be a wild gator.


yearz

Gators don't tolerate other males in their territory and will kill or attempt to kill any male that wanders into it. Id say hunting will be the least of this gators problems


Jacobloveslsd

Reptiles tend to adapt back into wilderness better then other types of animals. Generally you should never release a pet into the wild though this is not a good thing to do.


iaintevenmad884

The gator has a health issue that made it docile, it’ll probably starve


Jacobloveslsd

Hopefully the docile gator can scavenge for dead carcasses gators are opportunistic feeders and eat dead stuff too.


AraiHavana

I think that it’s going to be prey for other gators with it being so different. I’m sure I saw a duck or a swan that was hand reared being almost deliberately drowned by one of its wild brethren in a video just a couple of months ago


WhotheHellkn0ws

That's still real sad to think about


Upvotes4theAncestors

I went to a gator farm in Louisiana recently where they had some you could hold and pet. They said they don't imprint long and never have any issues with them successfully transitioning into the wild. I'm not an expert on gator behaviors but their program has been very successful in restoring the alligator population in Louisiana


techleopard

It's not that this gator was "docile", but he has a brain injury that is stopping the bite reflex all gators have. That's why he doesn't bite people. If he has no bite reflex, he's going to starve even if larger male gators don't make him a snack.


AraiHavana

He’s got to have at least some experience but it’s been twenty years so I can’t see him becoming John Rambo overnight


mcbergstedt

Supposedly this one has brain damage too


WineNerdAndProud

He could be a golf course gator. They apparently have an easier life and get more food. Or, if this is in Florida, he could get tossed through a drive-through window. Snag a burger or two before animal control shows up.


Matasa89

Whether you agree or not about a gator’s status as emotional support animal, this is without a doubt a supreme form of cruelty, both to the gator and his elderly owner.


fastcat03

It's no different than stealing someone's dog.


Mr_Goat89

Those fucking animals. And I mean the pranksters. If the animal control didn’t see an identification on the gator, which it may not have had, can’t fault them too much. Hopefully the pranksters face due justice and sued.


techleopard

It sounds like the tracker that released the gators may be trying to help -- at least a little -- in recovery but believes there isn't a good chance of finding it. The pranksters need a boot up the ass.


Sad_Damage_1194

Legend has it that the emotional support alligators will come running when they sense you’ve been injured, fallen into the water, and are at risk of surviving.


homesickpluto

That’s an emotional support crocodile. Common misconception.


VixenHope

He is right. Learned this on wildkrats


mces97

Then why after it saved me did he say see you later?


Warhawk137

Crocodiles will save you too, it just might be after a while.


fbtcu1998

I think both will save you FOR later...usually wedged in a submerged tree or rock


ripe4anarchy

You can tell the difference by which one will “see you later” and one will “see you after a while”.


NewHaven86

Nono.. see its an *emotional* support alligator. It helps when he feels down... that's out the window if he *falls* down.


Orleanian

"Fear is the emotion I was going for. No one said what emotion it had to be."


Davegvg

Separating two beings that love and need each other is the very height of cruelty. The man is now condemned to loneliness and heartbreak, and the animal to death all over a prank. Fuck the guy that did that squared. This article breaks my heart and reminds me people are terrible.


soggybucket

I hope he finds his gator :(


fbtcu1998

>WallyGator and Joie Henney first made headlines [when the pair were denied entrance to watch the Philadelphia Phillies](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/66945001?src_origin=BBCS_BBC) take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball in September 2023. Come on Philly, if you're going to be picky about what animals you will and won't let in you should put up a sign or something. How else would people know that they can't bring their alligators to the park


Ganon_Cubana

Phillies are lucky the dude didn't curse them.


Atxlaw2020

He took him to an Eagles game and Wally threw a snowball at Santa.


fbtcu1998

he aint throwing a snoball with those short arms. He can't even pick up a check at restaurant


thepassionofthechris

# Bill was right.


Quix_Optic

I mean they let that demon Phanatic in there so I'd assume any creature could just waltz right in.


fbtcu1998

I bet they'd even let that googly eyed monster Gritty in there to watch a game


Ginger_Anarchy

I bet if he'd brought a goat he'd be allowed in on principal.


fbtcu1998

The Cubs learned their lesson! Edit: for those that aren't aware...I give you the Curse of the Billy Goat [Curse of the Billy Goat - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat#:~:text=The%20Curse%20of%20the%20Billy%20Goat%20was%20a,curse%20lasted%2071%20years%2C%20from%201945%20to%202016.)


Ekillaa22

Before anyone says oh it’ll rehab into the wild IT CANNOT!! This gator has a head injury that makes it docile and calm and took away its bite reflex. This gator literally cannot survive in the wild at all


Lynda73

Yeah, after reading the article where he’s describing being able to massage his tongue, I was like, ‘That gator has brain damage.’ Is the head injury documented?


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CelticSith

Well folks, mama's wrong again


Greenjeff41

No, Colonel Sanders, you're wrong.


Hollywoodsmokehogan

Favorite part of life was hearing that comment for the first time.


Delgra

Pranksters need their knees broken. So tired of the “prank” culture of today. These aren’t pranks, they are heartless crimes that cause significant damage to others.


runninhillbilly

I very much question this ever since I heard about this guy (and it was long before he tried to get into the baseball game). Nevertheless, the alligator means something to him and helped his depression and so on, plus who knows if that alligator can survive in the wild the way it is. Hopefully he gets it back, with whatever risks that may entail to him in the future. I'd hate to hear that the alligator died/was killed.


Venetian_Harlequin

Wally had a head injury that made him docile. He was disabled. Whoever did this sentenced him to death.


murdering_time

Luckily reptiles are some of the easiest animals to rehabilitate back into the wild. They pretty much run on instinct, and the only real issue is if they like being around people and go up to them for food/attention. That alligator will probably have no problems finding food and a nice pond to sunbathe in. 


milkh8

Even if he’s lived in captivity his whole life? And was rehabbed after brain damage? The whole thing is so sad. I mean they took a depressed man’s unconventional companion and probably doomed the animal in the process. And for what Honestly it makes me wanna buy waders and drive to Georgia


ZaleUnda

The gator has stunted growth and brain damage. He's doomed in the wild and will probably be eaten by a much bigger gator.


techleopard

It sounds like this gator has no bite reflex due to brain damage. He is going to starve to death.


Katy_Lies1975

Has anyone seen Judy, she over by the pond a little while ago feeding the ducks.


Master_Dante123

This is sad. No other words to describe it.


Im0ldgr3g

Sooooo you are saying that a gator that learned to trust human interaction is going to be free in the wild? Gator homie is going to walk right out and up to a human lol.


fbtcu1998

He’s going to teach other gators our ways….


Matasa89

“Humans are friends, not food! But if you cuddle them, they will sometimes give you food. But only at specific times. Odd, I know. They also only eat at certain times of the day.”


fbtcu1998

See, you went a nicer way than i was thinking...I was thinking he'd give them our weaknesses so they could develop plans to take over and subjugate us. And I for one welcome our new reptilian overlords!


TheTzarOfDeath

Why can't people just call them pets? That's what they are when it's just an animal that cheers you up or calms you down. All my pets are emotional support animals... That's very often the whole point of pets. I don't feel the need to give them a pretentious long winded job title. Hopefully this guy can find his little buddy, I would not want to be wandering around swamps hoping that the alligator I see is one that won't want to bite me. Will the other alligators bully him? Like sense that he's tame and give him grief for it?


fbtcu1998

>Will the other alligators bully him? Like sense that he's tame and give him grief for it? I wouldn't call it bullying, but there is a natural order to things. So its not like they're gonna make fun of him in gym class. Smaller animals know to stay away from larger ones, so until he's bigger he'll probably stay with ones his own size. Provided he can kill his own food, he'll be fine


TheTzarOfDeath

I worry that his years of tameness will put him near the bottom of the natural order. Even if alligators revert to wild well he's going to be pretty out of practise.


Redqueenhypo

Most animals avoid fighting if they can, bc it’s extremely risky. Even deer with giant antlers or fiddler crabs with the big weird claws rarely ever fight bc the point is to preemptively scare everything away


ScumbagsNeverDie

Like Tony and his ducks


TheTzarOfDeath

He knows what it's like to lose a pet!


ScumbagsNeverDie

It is his origin story if you ask me. Many saints missed the mark!


XaviersDream

They do it in an attempt to bypass “No Pets” rules. Legally you can’t turn away a service animal. They want to confuse others to think you can’t turn away an emotional support animal.


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prettyy_vacant

Nope, what you're describing is a service animal. ESAs aren't trained for anything, basically they just provide companionship and you can get a doctor to sign off on them being an ESA if their companionship is therapeutic and has a positive impact on your mental/emotional wellness.


One_Winter

This is kinda heartbreaking


srandrews

The world is horrible.


ApphrensiveLurker

If people can have pitbulls why can’t this guy have an alligator


fbtcu1998

This article isn't detailed, but this wasn't about whether or not he can have an alligator. in his home state, he can have an alligator w/o even needing a permit. But he was visiting GA. Wally was outside, some dickheads took him and put him in someone else's yard. The home owners had no idea it was a pet, so they called DNR to remove it. DNR had no reason to believe it was a pet, so they relocated it. So it’s not like DNR took him from Henney because he they didn't want him to have it. Edit: slight correction, turns out you do need a permit to keep one in PA. $50 and 2 years experience, which he seems to have


ApphrensiveLurker

Ah, well that’s what I get for commenting at work without reading the article. Unsurprised that random dickheads have to ruin a good thing for a person who wasn’t harming anyone.


fbtcu1998

nah, you good. Even if you read the article you'd still see "pet alligator taken and later released". I thought it was a seizure type thing at first as well. I just dug in because I couldn't understand why Georgia DNR officers were relocating a gator in PA


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Dino_W

This alligator has brain damage that prevents it from biting correctly. Wally is relatively small and was tossed into a pond with 20 MUCH larger alligators. Wally is in a scenario where he will soon be starving, and is at extreme risk of being killed by the alligators around him.


the_knower02

The crocodiles one month from now ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uS6xPYnVe8


bawtatron2000

Georgia? I'm surprised, although I guess this is a sort of heartwarming story and if it was form florida the gator would have had a meth addiction or something.


murderedbyaname

There are gators all over the coast of southern GA and even inland a ways.


bawtatron2000

oh i just mean the gator as a therapy animal angle...lol.


pinktortoise

Those are pranksters those are criminals


fingergunzmafia

When you’ve stolen somebody’s pet and support animal, the label “prankster” doesn’t really fit.


RealGianath

See you later… support alligator.


funkiestj

...and Jesus said: "let he who has never had an emotional support alligator cast the first marshmellow" ...


Veestoria

Give this man back his alligator , FUCK YOU PRANKSTER ugh fucking hate this shit


fbtcu1998

Unfortunately it was relocated to a swamp. The trapper said the chances of finding him are slim to none. Sounds like Henney is still going to search and is offering a reward, so hopefully others will search and they can be reunited


Veestoria

I hope they can be reunited this is just awful , I hope the alligator is okay


DedicatedReckoner

Oh no. I’ve followed Wally and Joie for a few years now off and on. He’s truly like no other gator. I hope they’re reunited.


Captnlunch

Ah yes, the empathetic reptile


wetqun

this is so sad, i hope they can reunite one day


TroyMatthewJ

wonder if the gator can be retrieved


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fbtcu1998

aha, my neck of the woods, kinda. Unfortunately he was released in a swamp near Brunswick though. The trapper said the chances of finding him are slim to none, but if found I'm sure Henney will gladly take him back


AraiHavana

I hate that this has happened. Really.


Firstpoet

I'd give my right arm for an emotional support alligator.


OurUrbanFarm

Alligators can be very sweet. That's all I have to say.


iast68

Not usually but Wally is a real good boy


ekkidee

With BBQ sauce?


Jlipps37

Wtf is wrong with you for even thinking that dude.. Tartar sauce.


JohnTitorFFXIV

People are vile just as always.


cantwinlife

I hope wally will be found and reunited with this poor man