A 3-foot caiman has been removed from FDR Park

A creature a long way from home was removed from a South Philadelphia park on Sunday morning.

Animal protection officers responded to FDR Park to remove a 3-foot-long caiman, a reptile similar to an alligator that’s native to South and Central America.

The caiman had likely been kept as a pet, according to the animal shelter ACCT Philly. The reptile was removed safely and humanely and held at the ACCT office before being turned over to a rescue.

“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 said in a Facebook post.

Caimans are not native to Philadelphia, or the United States for that matter, making it incredibly difficult for them to adjust to our ecosystem, according to the shelter.

Out of their element, the predators could turn to hunting small dogs, the shelter warned.

“It creates a big public safety risk,” ACCT wrote.

Purchasing a caiman also supports the exotic pet trade, which is depleting the reptile’s wild population and in many cases killing the reptiles to produce leather from their skin. Those that aren’t killed are often kept by owners who don’t understand what it takes to own a caiman, according to the ACCT.

“More people than you would think have these as pets,” said Sarah Barnett, the executive director of ACCT Philly.

That’s largely in part because the internet has made purchasing exotic reptiles easier than ever, Barnett said.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations do not prohibit the sale or ownership of caimans, alligators, and crocodiles, as long as they aren’t released into the wild. Some municipalities have their own restrictions, however.

“People will get them thinking it’s not a big deal,” Barnett said, especially those who are misled by the animals’ small size in youth. While caimans can be just 1 foot in length at purchase, the reptiles can grow to up to 5 feet.

ACCT urges anyone up to the challenge of properly caring for a caiman to take precautionary steps.

First, rescue one from a reptile shelter instead of purchasing. Be sure the caiman has enough space; the reptiles require an enclosure with temperature-controlled water that’s 8-by-10 feet in size, as well as a 6-by-6 space for land. Caimans like their water to be around 70 degrees, according to Barnett.

“Having that information can be life or death for these animals,” Barnett said.

The shelter anticipates this won’t be the last time it rescues an exotic creature. ACCT takes in around 1,000 animals that aren’t dogs or cats per year, according to Barnett, ranging from rabbits and raccoons to bearded dragons and iguanas.