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Grieving Detroit Mother Finds 6-Foot Alligator in Deceased Son’s Bedroom — Rescuer Safely Removes Reptile

What happened: A Detroit mother found a 6-foot alligator in her deceased son’s bedroom, confined to a tank with no water, heat, or proper lighting.
Rescue: Mark Rosenthal of a licensed exotic-animal rescue secured the frightened animal after about 30 minutes.
Outcome: The alligator, now nicknamed "Navi-gator," will be moved to a Florida sanctuary. The case underscores the risks and responsibilities of keeping large exotic pets.

10:30 AM, 11/22/2025Society
Grieving Detroit Mother Finds 6-Foot Alligator in Deceased Son’s Bedroom — Rescuer Safely Removes Reptile

A Detroit woman discovered a 6-foot alligator inside her late son’s bedroom and contacted a local exotic-animal rescue for help. The reptile was confined to a glass tank nearly the same length as the animal and lacked essential elements such as water, supplemental heat, and proper lighting.

Rescue and condition

Mark Rosenthal, director of Animal Magic, a licensed nonprofit exotic-animal rescue and education facility in Detroit, responded to the call. He described finding the alligator in an enclosure that left it almost no room to move and in "horrible" conditions. Despite the lack of proper husbandry, Rosenthal said the animal's condition was surprisingly stable given the circumstances.

"An elderly woman called in this morning. Her son passed away last week. She buried him on Saturday and said he had a big alligator in his bedroom," Rosenthal recounted.

Rosenthal spent roughly 30 minutes securing the frightened and defensive reptile. To safely extract and contain the animal, he described lifting it by the tail until it was balanced, lowering it onto a milk crate, and then transferring it into a transport container.

"I grabbed it by the tail and lifted it by the tail until it was balanced at the top. Then I got off the milk crate, got him down, and then put him in the container," he said.

Next steps and wider issues

The rescued alligator has been nicknamed "Navi-gator" and is scheduled to be transferred to a long-term sanctuary in Florida where it will receive appropriate space and care. The incident highlights important concerns about public safety and animal welfare when potentially dangerous exotic animals are kept in private homes without adequate facilities or oversight.

Rosenthal noted that while private ownership of exotic animals is not uniformly prohibited in all states, owners must provide suitable enclosures, proper temperature and lighting, and adequate water for species like alligators that grow large and require specialized care. He emphasized that prospective owners should consider whether they can provide a full, healthy life for such animals before acquiring them.

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