Kiski gators at rescue center, headed for permanent southern homes

Oct. 6—Nathan Lysaght has some alligators to bathe.

Nine of the them, actually, all from Thursday night's roundup of the animals in Kiski Township.

"The goal is to safely relocate the nine alligators to rescues in either South Carolina, Texas or Florida," said Lysaght, director of Nate's Reptile Rescue in South Park.

First, though, they need a cleanup.

"They're a little dirty from the pool water they were kept in. There was algae, but they're all going to get baths today," Lysaght said.

All of the animals appear to be otherwise in good health, he said.

They were brought to the rescue around midnight Friday after Kiski Township police and others had to remove them from a home in Kiski Township, where they escaped an enclosure and began to roam the small neighborhood not far from the Kiski River.

One of the alligators was found hanging out on a neighbor's front porch. All of the animals appeared to be around 3 or 4 feet long.

"It was a threat to public safety, and our officers quickly dispatched to handle the call of an alligator reported at a neighbor's front door," Kiski Township police Chief Lee Bartolicius said.

That turned into a full-scale roundup with the help of Armstrong County Humane Officer Amber Phillips.

"It was exhausting and a slow process, but it was completed and no one was injured," Phillips said Friday morning. "They (alligators) may not be an ideal pet, but they are creatures that matter and deserve the best if nature can't be it for them. I'm relieved they're in a much better environment and are going to have a life they deserve in full when they're transported to a sanctuary."

The alligators' owner, Dominic Albert Hayward, 26, is in the Armstrong County Jail on charges of violating parole. Court records show he and another man, from Butler, also face charges filed by the state Fish and Boat Commission for improper transportation or sale of wildlife.

In September, the man was trying to give Hayward a small alligator he no longer could care for when the animal escaped and later was spotted by kayakers in the Kiski River. That animal, nicknamed "Neo," is still at large, according to Bartolicius.

Also last month, Hayward listed some of his pet alligators for sale in a Craigslist post, advertising them as 3 to 4 feet in length for $200 each and describing them as "cool."

As for Thursday night, Bartolicius said he didn't have to wonder where the rogue gator on a neighbor's porch came from.

"Given the circumstances, we assumed it came from Mr. Hayward's house," Bartolicius said.

When they went to the house, police found the backyard pool enclosure for the alligators was broken and the animals had escaped. Since no one was at the home, police rounded up the rest of the animals as well.

Hayward's largest pet alligator, "Thor," remains inside the house and was never outside or a threat to the public, Bartolicius said.

"I think we can all calm down now. It's my belief this is where the alligator issue started (Hayward's residence), and I'm glad we got the alligators to a safe and responsible environment," Bartolicius said. "It (alligator investigations) was constant. Every time we turned around, it was alligators."

The rural township has been dealing with alligator sightings on the Kiski River since early this summer when a 4-foot alligator was spotted by boaters on the river. That animal, nicknamed "Chomper," was captured and sent to Nate's Reptile Rescue, where it remains.

"Our department spent a ton of time and resources devoted to this. We thought we were done, and then Mr. Hayward had a botched transaction and another alligator escaped," said Bartolicius, referring to Neo.

Bartolicius said Friday he plans to consult with the Armstrong County District Attorney to file charges against Hayward for recklessly endangering the public.

The arrival of nine alligators brings Nate's alligator total to 12, which is an overwhelming number for the small rescue.

"I hope the public will help with donations to assist in the relocation," said Lysaght, who plans to drive the reptiles to their permanent homes out of state.

Lysaght said being on the receiving end of so many reptiles is something that shouldn't be happening.

"Crocodilians just don't make good pets, and he (Hayward) had no plans for the winter for the alligators," he said.

As for Bartolicius, he hopes the incident will prompt action at the state level to regulate the keeping of such animals.

"I am going to push forward and fight with other law enforcement agencies to get Pennsylvania laws governing these animals to be more stringent," Bartolicius said.

"I have a great team at Kiski Township police, and I want to thank my officers for the time and dedication to all of these alligator-related events. They've done a phenomenal job. This wasn't easy for anybody. We have zero training in exotic animals, so this has been a real learning curve," Bartolicius said.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .