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Martha’s Vineyard residents speculate after alligator carcass found at nature reserve
An island resident found the nearly 5-foot-long alligator while walking his dog at Sepiessa Point Reservation in Martha’s Vineyard.
Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) are investigating after a Martha’s Vineyard resident found an alligator carcass in a coastal nature reserve.
West Tisbury Animal Control responded to the scene and retrieved the carcass before passing on the investigation to MEP, Officer Kate Hoffman told Boston.com. MEP confirmed that they were actively investigating but declined to comment further.
Dave Kelliher, who has lived on the island for 40 years, told The Martha’s Vineyard Times that he found the nearly 5-foot-long alligator Saturday while walking his dog at Sepiessa Point Reservation. The carcass’ limbs were still flexible, and it didn’t smell, so Kelliher believes the alligator had died recently.
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Even stranger, most of the alligator’s skin was missing, according to The Martha’s Vineyard Times. This has led residents to theorize that the skin was eaten by other wildlife or removed to be tanned or sold.
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Kelliher speculated that the alligator was kept as a pet before its owner left it at Sepiessa, the newspaper reported.
“I assume it’s a pet owner and the alligator got too big,” Kelliher said. “But how many people on the Island have exotic pets?”
Matt Pelikan, community naturalist at BiodiversityWorks, told the Times that although climate change has expanded the range of areas where alligators can survive, it’s unlikely that the alligator made its way to the island on its own.
“True, weird stuff happens, and I don’t generally use the word ‘impossible’ when talking about animal vagrancy,” Pelikan said. “But with a situation like this, a series of near-miracles would have to occur to get an alligator here on its own, while explanations such as the irresponsible release of a pet are very easy to imagine.”
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It is illegal to own any crocodilian species, including alligators, in Massachusetts.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact MEP at 800-632-8075.
Officials from Sepiessa Point Reservation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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