Abandoned alligator with taped mouth rescued by Harford Deputies

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Abandoned alligator with taped mouth rescued by Harford Deputies

By Katarina Hein - WBAL NewsRadio Digital Content Manager
October 24, 2025

Abandoned Alligator With Taped Mouth Rescued by Harford Deputies


(Image Credit: Harford County Sherrif)

According to a post on Facebook, Harford County deputies rescued an alligator that had been left in a parking lot outside a local reptile shop late Thursday night. … The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said officers from the Northern Precinct responded to a call around 11 p.m. on Oct. 23 after reports of an alligator found outside the Forest Hill-area shop.

When they arrived, they found the reptile with its mouth taped shut. … The alligator appeared to have been intentionally abandoned, officials said. Deputies were able to safely secure the animal and contacted a local reptile rescue organization for assistance.

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According to the sheriff’s office, the alligator was in good health, friendly and docile, which makes them believe it had likely been kept as a pet.

Officials noted that the animal probably wouldn’t have survived the night’s near-freezing temperatures without the timely intervention of deputies and the shop owner.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northern Precinct at 410-692-7880.

[cab67]

1. This is cruel, but...

...the cruelty is centered on the abandonment.

To a lot of you, the concept of taping an alligator's jaws shut may seem cruel, but it's actually not - at least if it's done for a limited time. Scientists who work on gators and crocs routinely do this when handling the animals. It doesn't hurt them.

Their snouts aren't built like those of a mammal. The tape does nothing to restrict breathing, the way it might for a dog.

That said, keeping the tape on for a long time, preventing the gator from eating (assuming it was provided with food, and that's doubtful), would indeed be cruel.