Stock photo of alligator.Photo:Getty
Getty
A man in England has been fined for keeping a pet alligator called Cliff in his backyard.
According toBBC News, Ashley Betts, from Rotherham, kept the 4-foot reptile in a tank at the back of his home for a year before police discovered it in July 2024.
Betts, 32, claimed he did not know a special license was needed to keep exotic creatures like Cliff. He pleaded guilty to breaching theDangerous Wild Animals Actat Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, March 12, per the outlet.
He was ordered to pay nearly $1,300 in fines.
Stock photo of alligator.Getty
Betts reportedly kept Cliff in a special outbuilding and tank, which police discovered after visiting Betts' house for a different reason.
Local media outletSheffield Starreported that the 32-year-old said he got the alligator from a friend.
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Betts was not charged with animal cruelty, and the court said there was “no suggestion” the animal was being kept in poor conditions or in a way that was unsafe for the public, per BBC News.
PEOPLE reached out to South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield Magistrates' Court for comment.
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source: people.com
