Mystery after skinned beast appears in enclave for the rich and famous miles from its natural habitat
Locals in Massachusetts have been left baffled after an alligator was found lying in a coastal nature reserve, dead and skinned.
A resident in West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard came across the beast on Saturday afternoon while walking his dog at Sepiessa Point Reservation.
Dave Kelliher told MV Times that he almost tripped over the approximately five-foot-long alligator that had most of its skin missing, with its head and legs still attached.
‘When it comes to wildlife, this is the wildest thing I’ve seen on the Island,’ Kelliher told the outlet. ‘I’ve seen deer swimming and some interesting things, but not this.’
While no expert, the 40-year-old resident said he believed the animal had only recently died due to a lack of smell and flexibility in its limbs.
The West Tisbury Animal Control office were contacted and reportedly picked up the dead animal, and it’s being stored in a cooler.
It remains unclear if an investigation will be conducted. The West Tisbury Animal Control office did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Officials with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed to MV Times that the animal is an American alligator.
Victorian seaside homes on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts
Dave Kelliher said that he almost tripped over the approximately five-foot-long alligator that had most of its skin missing, with its head and legs still attached
Matt Pelikan said: ‘Weird stuff happens, and I don’t generally use the word “impossible” when talking about animal vagrancy but with a situation like this, a series of near-miracles would have to occur to get an alligator here on its own’
The West Tisbury Animal Control office were contacted and reportedly picked up the dead animal, and it’s being stored in a cooler
State officials have said it would be nearly impossible for an American alligator to live naturally in Massachusetts, where the climate is not generally warm enough.
Matt Pelikan, a community naturalist at BiodiversityWorks, an organization focused on conservation, told the outlet: ‘Weird stuff happens, and I don’t generally use the word “impossible” when talking about animal vagrancy…
‘But with a situation like this, a series of near-miracles would have to occur to get an alligator here on its own.’
It has been theorized that the gator may have been purposefully or accidentally released by someone keeping it as a pet illegally.
The mystery continues as it remains unclear how the alligator’s skin was removed, with one theory pointing to local wildlife eating the gator.
Theories that the animal was skinned by someone have been declared, but it has been pointed out that if it’s skin was being sold or used then its claws and head would likely have been removed as well.
