STOCKTON RECORD (California) 14 March 06 Fish and Game officials confiscate alligators from S.J. property - Farm’s population gets scaled back (Warren Lutz)
Acampo: Daren Augustin plucked the 3-foot gator out of the makeshift pond, wrapped tape around its snout and challenged reluctant Fish and Game officials to take it.
“You’re the experts,” he taunted.
The handful of state wardens who came to confiscate six alligators instead asked the muscular chicken farmer to deposit the reptiles in pet kennels. They stood calmly as Augustin continued his rant before waiting reporters.
“You guys have a big problem with alligators,” he told the wardens. “I’m trying to help you guys out.”
He tried getting permits for the animals, but the California Department of Fish and Game would rather punish him than help him, he said.
“This whole thing is ridiculous,” he added, as the wardens loaded the alligators — four live and two dead — into a pickup. “I hardly know where to start.”
Then Fish and Game patrol Lt. Eric Vielhauer turned to Augustin.
“Unfortunately, Daren, we don’t make the laws, we just enforce them,” Vielhauer said. “You’re in possession of six alligators, and you don’t have a permit.”
And they drove away, leaving Augustin to face six misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of a restricted species. Each count carries a possible fine of $1,000. Permits are available for places such as zoos and rescue organizations but not for curious collectors.
Sizewise, the alligators weren’t exactly the stuff of legend.
The largest was perhaps just under 4 feet long. But that’s still big enough to lop off a finger or a toe, officials said, and thus pretty darn unsafe.
“It’s a public-safety issue,” Fish and Game Warden Raul Lomeli said. “It’s a small problem that could lead to a big problem.”
Officials say they first came in contact with Augustin in February, when they discovered several alligators on his property. That was a month after an alligator was found in Lodi. Augustin said the person who found the alligator called him.
Augustin said he would get rid of the animals or apply for the proper permits, according to Fish and Game. Augustin said he tried getting the permits, but officials wouldn’t cooperate.
“I planned on getting a permit sooner, but Fish and Game is extremely difficult to work with,” he said. “They’re not very supportive.”
Augustin said he planned to build an alligator farm but started by helping folks get rid of the critters.
“People who obtained them illegally, they were stuck with three choices,” he said. “Kill them, call Fish and Game and face a fine, or let them loose in the waterway.
“Those are the three possibilities,” he added. “I gave them a fourth.”
Augustin said he quickly became known in the reptile community as the guy who took in unwanted alligators. He also thought they were a “green” way to get rid of dead chickens on his farm. Gator chow.
Augustin kept the animals in a greenhouse outfitted with a little pond. But officials said alligators need warmer climates than Northern California can offer.
“They look reasonably healthy,” said Gabriel Kerschner, a wildlife educator whom officials brought along to inspect the animals. “But in terms of climate, it’s a little off. … It gets too frosty here.”
Augustin plans to fight the charges. He said the alligators aren’t great pets but have been a good learning experience for his children.
He’s just not quite sure what to do when the next person needs a home for an alligator.
“I want to work with (Fish and Game),” he said. “I should be a resource. You should be bringing those gators to me.”
Farm’s population gets scaled back