10-foot gator reported in Washington turns out to be small — and ‘friendly’ — creature
Deputies responding to a call about a roughly 10-foot “crocodile or alligator” soon learned the reptile didn’t quite fit the initial description.
The creature reported to the Granite Falls Police Department in Washington turned out to be a family’s escaped Argentine tegu.
Deputies said they were responding to a complaint about a large reptile that was likely traveling from a lake to a river and had bedded down. A resident took a photo of the scaly animal, and police shared the image on Facebook.
But the reptile’s owner saw the Facebook post and realized the creature caught on camera was actually her family pet.
“I think that is my Argentine Tegu, Tazz!!” Shanna Duncan wrote on Facebook. “I just checked his enclosure. He isn’t there. He is friendly to people. And very loved. NOT DANGEROUS!!!!”
She said her pet loves to snuggle and follow her around the house.
The police department updated its post to tell the community the giant reptile warning was a false alarm.
“I thank all the community members who have reached out to us, but we responded to a complaint last night and were provided with certain information and it was only prudent to post for public safety reasons,” police said. “We apologize if we upset some of our community members but as we say, ‘safety first.’”
The goal shifted to helping a family find its pet. Police asked anyone who saw Tazz to call 911. His family went searching for him, and eventually, they were reunited.
On Sunday, July 21, Duncan announced Tazz was home. Up-close, the reptile appears much smaller than initially reported.
“He’s a good tiny dinosaur,” Duncan said.
Argentine tegus can grow up to 4 feet in length and can be kept as pets in the U.S., according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. They can potentially threaten native wildlife, so officials advise pet owners not to release them.
Granite Falls is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Seattle.
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