Florida woman has finally received a license allowing her to keep her pet alligator, after months of negotiation with the state officials.
The gentle gator has been named “Rambo” which is "like a dog" and loves being petted and going for walks on a leash, according to his owner, Mary Thorn, 55 years old, of Lakeland, Florida.
Rambo is also treated like a local celebrity. He has been the star of small shows that Thorn has put on for a few charities and organizations in her area. The "trained" gator had also been photographed "riding an ATV" along with her on her motorcycle.
But earlier this year, in March, the gator has garnered national attention when Thorn said that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) had denied her a permit to keep Rambo.
Thorn told that she had a permit to keep the 15 years old American alligator ever since she had rescued and brought him home almost seven years ago, while Rambo was just a little over a foot long.
Rambo has grown to be over 6 feet. A recently added condition for a permit stated that gators more than 6 feet long are needed to be kept on a property with minimum 2.5 acres of land said, FWC spokesman Gary Morse.
Morse said , "This is a very complex case, especially since she acquired the gator before some changes in permit conditions”.
Thorn's lawyer, Spencer Shenan, said that after the months of negotiating with the FWC, Thorn had recently received news that she would be allowed to keep Rambo.
By Prakriti Neogi
