Gaston's exotic animal population on decline

Alligators and tigers and armadillos, oh my!

On Thursday night, a spider monkey died after being struck by a vehicle around 8:15 p.m. on Alexis-Lucia Road, according to emergency workers.

Gaston County Animal Control Supervisor Stephen Hay has seen a lot of wild animals and exotic pets in Gaston County over the years, although they were outlawed in 1999.

“I got a call from people saying they had seen armadillos,” he said. “I told them they were crazy. Sure enough, I got out there and there were three baby armadillos.”

Hay said some Hispanic people moved to Gaston County from out West and brought along the creatures in their vehicle.

Gaston law prohibits exotic pets

The county ordinance states that “it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep, maintain, possess or have under their control within the county, any venomous reptile or any other wild animal or exotic pet.”

Prior to Jan. 1, 1999, anyone with a registered wild animal could keep it for the duration of its life, providing it would not be replaced when sold, transferred, escaped or died.

Hay said he had recently gone through records of people having registered exotic animals before 1999 and had not had any response suggesting that the animals were still alive or in the area.

“We’ve been weeding them out, as of the ones we’ve come across they’ve not had the animal,” he said.

Hay said he’s seen alligators on the loose, Bengal tigers in the roadway and emus escaping their enclosures.

“One (alligator) was found in a pool in Dallas, a 4½-foot caiman alligator,” he said. “Another was found in Gastonia at an apartment complex. Someone was under arrest and there was an alligator in a blue kiddy pool; he also had snapping turtles.”

More than five years ago, a motorist saw two tigers on a road near Kings Mountain in the middle of the night, Hay said.

When animal control officers from Cleveland and Gaston counties responded, they found two 5- to 6-month-old Bengal tigers.

“You could tell they belonged to somebody,” he said. “Ninety-nine point nine percent of (exotic pet) owners don’t come forward.”

Out the window’

When it comes to approaching a vicious animal on the loose, Hay examines the demeanor and mannerisms of the animal first and if they appear out-of-control, “protocol would go out the window.”

Using tranquilizers, nets, catch poles, mechanical grabbers and hand-to-hand action, animals are usually brought to the animal shelter off of Dallas-Cherryville Highway.

The law defines an exotic pet and wild animal as “One which would ordinarily be found in the wilderness of this or any other country, or one which is a species of animal not indigenous to the U.S. or to North America, or one which otherwise causes a reasonable person to be fearful of significant destruction of property or of bodily harm.”

In other words, there’s a case-by-case interpretation of the law on what officials deem dangerous.

If caught keeping a non-registered wild animal or exotic pet, you can be fined $500 on first offense, $750 for second offense and $1,000 the third time.

When people move to Gaston County and bring their vicious pet with them, Hay said he likes to issue a warning and give them a chance to get rid of the creature.

“We try to be nice and warn people ahead of time. It doesn’t happen often or we don’t find out about it,” he said.

It’s not hard to get your hands on a wild animal these days because of Internet sites like Craigslist, according to Hay.

“They’ve got basically anything you want. It’s not real hard to get these things, unfortunately,” he said.

The local law states that the prohibition of wild animals is “primarily based upon a concern to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the county.
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