Man charged after alligator found

The alligator has been taken to a sanctuary

A man has been charged with wildlife cruelty after police found an alligator in the boot of a car in Edinburgh.

The 3.5ft reptile was discovered by undercover officers after it had allegedly been offered for sale in a specialist publication.

One man has been charged with six offences and another who was questioned has since been freed, Lothian and Borders Police said.

The alligator was said to be "probably quite traumatised" by the journey.

The creature is believed to be a Spectacled Cayman alligator which can "very dangerous".

It was found in a wooden box in the boot of the vehicle in a car park.

Officers from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) intervened to rescue it.

'Big teeth'

The alligator is now being cared for at a sanctuary

SSPCA spokeswoman Mairi Ball said: "These alligators will attack anyone, they have big teeth and can grow up to three metres long.

"Presumably this one was imported and unfortunately, there's a trend for keeping these exotic pets by people who have no idea how to care for them.

"These are killers, not pets, they can be very dangerous. This one was only a third of its full size."

Owning such pets without a licence is an offence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

Of the six offences, there were five counts of wildlife cruelty and one count of culpable and reckless conduct, police said.

The alligator is not the first to be discovered in unusual circumstances in Scotland.

A spokeswoman for Deep Sea World at North Queenferry said: "A Spectacled Cayman alligator was literally dumped on our doorstep several years ago.

"We kept it for about four years but it got too big for our facility and it is now at our sister centre in Cheshire."