7-foot alligator removed from Ohio home basement

HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say animal cruelty charges may be filed against a man who was keeping a 7-foot alligator in his basement in suburban Dayton.

The Humane Society of Greater Dayton removed the reptile from the man’s home in Huber Heights on Sunday after getting a tip about mistreatment.

Local officials said the alligator was not being kept in proper conditions and was not on a proper diet. Its growth is stunted for its age, and it is showing other signs of deteriorating health.

The Dayton Daily News reports that animal-cruelty charges could be filed against the owner and others who appeared in a Facebook video that showed them taunting the animal.

The alligator will be moved to a refuge in Florida. The owner’s name hasn’t been released.