Video: Albert the alligator moves into a rehabilitation center in Texas

Adam Gorski and Nick Veronica

3 hours ago

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Albert, the 750-pound pet alligator seized by the DEC from a Hamburg home in March, has officially moved into his new home in Texas.

Albert was transferred to Gator Country, a licensed alligator rehabilitation center in Beaumont, Texas, after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation arranged the move. The alligator was cleared to be moved by a veterinarian and has demonstrated “substantial improvement in health” in recent weeks, according to the DEC.

Video from KFDM, the CBS affiliate in Beaumont, shows Albert getting used to his new home, including spending time in one of the facility’s ponds.

“I know some people are not happy that he had to leave, but if you look at the animal, you understand,” said Gary Saurage, the owner of Gator Country. “You just have to look at Albert and know that he really hasn’t been kept in the best conditions.”

📅 Timeline of the story of Albert the Alligator
• March 15: Hamburg man fights to bring home alligator after reptile seized by DEC
• March 25: Amid National Attention, Gator Expert Weighs In on Hamburg’s ‘Albert the Alligator’
• April 17: DEC: Information on Albert the alligator will not be published until the conclusion of the investigation
• April 19: Documents shed more light on DEC’s seizure of Albert alligator in Hamburg
• May 8: Albert the alligator has a new home – in Texas

Tony Cavallaro, Albert’s owner, told News 4 WIVB in March that he owned the alligator for more than 30 years before DEC agents showed up at his home in March and took away the 11-foot reptile. He said he treated the alligator like a child and even added an addition to the back of his house to make a bedroom for Albert, complete with an in-ground pool.

The DEC said Cavallaro’s license to own an alligator expired in 2021.

Albert underwent a thorough examination and initial rehabilitation under the guidance of licensed veterinary care in Massachusetts after being seized, according to the DEC. They said Albert suffered from blindness and a spinal disease.

The DEC did not immediately know how permanent Albert’s stay in Gator Country would be.