Most people go for a pet cat or dog. Mary Thorn went for an alligator. The Lakeland, Florida woman rescued Rambo the gator 11 years ago and has a license to own him, but thanks to him passing the six-foot mark, she’s now required to get 2.5-acres for the reptile to live on. Thorn is fighting the stipulation, saying that even if she had the land, Rambo wouldn’t use it.

He was rescued from a dark closet where he was crammed in a tank with several other alligators. Now, he has a sensitivity to light and she has a note from an animal hospital to prove it. Regardless of acreage, Thorn maintains Rambo shouldn’t be “left outside for any length of time.”

The reptile has gained quite a bit of notoriety in the Lakeland area. Rambo visits school and charity events after his owner has taught him not to bite, scratch, head butt or swat. His owner claims “he loves kids and when kids come around he shuts his mouth really tight so fingers can’t go in his mouth.”

• Now, Thorn is thinking of different ways she can keep her gator. She might try to get him licensed as a therapy animal while his fans have reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission asking for Rambo to be allowed to stay at home. So far, the case is still under investigation.

Source: Orlando Sentinel