Of the 600 to 700 reptiles Jessie Freeman brought to the Westmoreland Reptile Expo on Sunday, the crocodiles are his favorite.
“They’re cool. They can hide and thrash out on you so fast, yet … if you understand their behavior, you can interact with them,” said Freeman, of Asheboro, N.C.
But Freeman, who has traveled across the country selling reptiles for about a decade, knows his favorite pet is not for everyone.
“You need so much space for a crocodile,” he said.
That’s why he suspects exotic pets are sometimes turned loose, as could be the case with some of the alligators that have been spotted in the Kiski River area since August.
“What happens with that is people buy a baby alligator, they keep it a little while, they decide they don’t want it anymore and, instead of being responsible and going ‘Hey, this is too much for me,’ they just take it and let it go,” Freeman said. “It’s the worst thing in the world.”
One alligator that had been loose in the Kiski River, later nicknamed Chomper, was caught in August and relocated to Nate’s Reptile Rescue in Pittsburgh.
Another alligator was spotted in the river Sept. 3. It was later identified as Neo, a pet of Austin Randall, 23, of Lyndora, Butler County, who said he lost Neo on Aug. 29 while attempting to re-home the baby alligator to Kiski Township resident Dominic Hayward. That gator remains loose on the river.
Nine alligators were seized from Hayward’s property in October after an gator was found on the front porch of a Brownstown Road resident. Hayward is in the Armstrong County Jail after being arrested by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission last month.
The alligator sightings have prompted legislative action by state Rep. Abby Major, R-60th District. Major introduced legislation to increase penalties for negligent or intentional release of exotic animals.
The alligator sightings are “getting a little ridiculous” for Dave Shultz, who represents breeders of lizards, chameleons, frogs, tarantulas and scorpions at reptile expos.
“Sometimes I think it’s just an attention getter,” said Shultz, of New Stanton, who owned the former Adam and Eve’s pet store in Latrobe. “The gator situation … every year, it seems like they’re on the news with it. It’s a shame.”
Living Treasures Wild Animal Park and local zoos are known for taking in exotic animals that owners can no longer care for, Shultz said.
Because of his connections to zoos and rescue facilities, Freeman is able to direct owners to a new home for their exotic pet, he said — if not adopt them himself.
“There’s always an option,” Freeman said. “You don’t have to let it go in the river.”
People should have the option to own these pets “as long as they’re responsible about it,” Freeman said.
“Anytime I sell a baby alligator, the first thing I say is: ‘Don’t let this go in the river. If this is too much, call me and bring it back.’ And I give them a business card,” Freeman said.
For Daniel Benner, exotic pets are more like friends.
Benner, of Greensburg, bought a 6-month-old bearded dragon last month from Shultz. He named her Em in honor of his late best friend.
“I lost her, so (Em) has become my new best friend,” Benner said.
Similarly, Tim Barnhart Jr. has loved reptiles his whole life.
“I find them to be calming when you’re holding them,” said Barnhart, of Somerset. “I’m a military veteran, and it’s relaxing watching them, holding them.”
Barnhart has a ball python, a tegu lizard and “quite a few turtles,” but he stays clear of venomous snakes and larger reptiles like alligators.
“I won’t do anything that can poison me or grow up and eat me,” he said.
Although he regularly attends reptile expos to browse and pick up supplies for his pets, Barnhart is cognizant of his capacity for exotic animal care.
Benner’s bearded dragon requires a “big enclosure” and a “wide diet” of crickets, fruits, vegetables and mealworms. Hand sanitizing before and after handling bearded dragons is essential for preventing salmonella, he said.
“It’s hard because a lot of people get into things and they don’t realize just what it’s going to be and what it’s going to take,” Benner said of caring for exotic pets.
Cody Wilson has been in the exotic pet industry for more than a decade with his parents and sister. He advises owners to talk to vendors at reptile expos if they find themselves in need of a new home for their pet.
“We’ve taken larger-body pythons from people that the snake got too big for what they were expecting,” said Wilson, who works for Hill Top Fur Babies in Morgantown, W.Va. “If you come to any vendor at the reptile expos and just offer the animal to them, we’ll gladly compensate you for it.
“We’d rather see the animal be taken care of in a way that it can be well-fed and well-maintained than see them suffer.”
Quincey Reese is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Quincey by email at qreese@triblive.com or via Twitter .
