Man Arrested For Keeping Exotic Animals After 5-Foot Alligator Escapes

Police in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, arrested a man for possessing dozens of exotic animals. Authorities seized several animals from the man's home after a 5-foot-long alligator managed to escape last month.

Mark McGowan, 38, from Beechview, faces over 30 counts of animal neglect, as well as a charge of cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person, according to local media.

McGowan spoke to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reporter Chandi Chapman, saying he believed officials should not have been in his home and he wants his animals back.

"It felt like CYS (Children, Youth and Family Services) came in and took my kids for no reason," he said.

According to Pittsburgh police, investigators seized all animals living in substandard conditions. Authorities said that during the inspection they found several of the animals were dead.

Three alligators, including one with a bloody neck injury, were removed from the house. There were several snakes, including one Burmese python, one granite Burmese python, and a rattlesnake. Other reptiles included two small iguanas and a Nile monitor lizard. Five yellow-bellied slider turtles were found inside an aquarium, with one dead. There were six rabbits, of which five were pregnant. Four hairless rats, four quails, and two guinea pigs were also found in the man's house.