"I live just one county north of there, and believe me when I say some idiotic redneck probably bought this gator believing it wouldn't out grow the 55 gallon tank he bought for it, so when it did, he simply turned it loose, leaving it to its' fate. Shame really. I'm glad they found it before it was too late, and that they are not simply euthanizing it. I'm doubly glad no "ban the exotics" drums are being beaten either. Just an interesting story that should have never been."



It is also possible that the gator was released by an Animal Rights group... it has possibly been done before:



"Deadly Snake Still Missing In Onslow County

WITN TV

Posted on Sun 25 May 2008 02:59:28 PM EST by girlangler



UPDATE: Deadly Snake Still Missing In Onslow County Save Email Print



Deadly Snakes On The Loose Deadly Snakes Still Missing



There has been no progress toward catching the deadly snake that's on the loose in Onslow County. A resident on Mill Farms Road, that's off Piney Green Road, saw a Monocled Cobra under her back deck earlier this week. Officials said they believed the snake was released by a group trying to raise awareness in making it illegal for people to own exotic animals. But the public relations director for the Animal Protection Institute says her organization had nothing to do with the snake release. Officials say they found a flyer indicating someone lost two cobras, while Thursday night just one was spotted by the resident. Officials warn these snakes can be deadly with one bite. They urge you to stay away if you see these snakes and immediately call authorities.



Thursday's Story



Officials say the two Monocled Cobras on the loose in Onslow County may have been dumped there by an animal rights group pushing for a ban on exotic animals. The two cobras are believed to be near Mill Farms Road off Piney Green Road in Onslow County. Officials say they found a flyer indicating someone lost the two cobras. They believe the snakes were placed there by the group Animal Protection Institute to raise awareness in making it illegal for people to own exotic animals. In an e-mail to WITN News, Animal Protection Institute public relations director Zibby Wilder said her organization had nothing to do with the snake release. Wilder says this is yet another example of why North Carolina needs to regulate ownership of dangerous wild animals. "Obviously this is a hoax perpetrated by someone upset about pending legislation that we are involved in," Wilder said in her e-mail to WITN. Officials warn these snakes can be deadly with one bite. They urge you to stay away if you see these snakes and immediately call authorities. According to National Geographic, The most deadly serpent aboard fictional Pacific Air Flight 121 is the Monocled cobra. Like many venomous snakes, the cobra's poison affects its victim's central nervous system. But Monocled cobra venom is so powerful that the victim's immune system goes into hyperdrive and actually begins to break down organs and muscles. Death is almost instantaneous. The Monocled cobra is named for the conspicuous design on its hood that can feature either one or two "eyes." The snake can grow up to 6.5 feet long and hunts mostly at night."



Source: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2021115/posts

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