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The creature, a relative of the alligator called a caiman, is native to Central and South America, not South Philly, said the city’s Animal Care and Control Team.
ACCT said they were notified by police on Sunday, March 5 that the caiman had taken up residency in the park. “Cay Man” was safely removed and being temporarily sheltered at an office as of Sunday afternoon, the organization wrote on Facebook.
Officials said they found permanent placement for the creature, but were not available for comment early Monday, March 6.
ACCT believes the caiman was an exotic pet abandoned by an owner unable to meet its physical needs. Caimans require an 8-by-10-foot temperature-controlled water tank and a 6-by-6-foot patch of land to live humanely, the organization noted, and can live for up to 40 years in captivity.
Abandoning pets of any kind — “whether a caiman or a cat” — is illegal in Pennsylvania, ACCT said, and exotic animals like large reptiles who are ill-suited to the environment can disrupt local ecosystems and present a safety hazard, they added.
“If you have an animal you can no longer keep, including caimans or any other animal that is extremely difficult to humanely house, please reach out to us instead of just letting them go,” ACCT wrote.
To learn more, call ACCT Philly at 267-385-3800.
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