Part of that respect is to never feed them. He does not do it. How an alligator became an emotional support animal: 'They said it was Wally Gator - Wikipedia Wally the Alligator acting as ring-bearer during the wedding of Dani and Jake Newman on July 3, 2021. WallyGator is an amazing creature, reads the alligators bio on the site. PennLive has previously reported on WallyGators hug-giving capabilities: A 2021 article described how the emotional support reptile has been going around putting smiles on peoples faces after being rescued in Florida, and how he even once served as a ring-bearer during a dinosaur and steampunk-themed wedding. Alternatively, people can choose to cast 10 to 250 votes through a monetary donation, which will benefit the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (also known as PAWS.org) a nonprofit shelter and rehabilitation organization based in Lynnwood, Washington. I was depressed and WallyGator started to do silly things to cheer me up, Henney said. Wally The Alligator Just Wants To Cuddle With You - YouTube He rode a bus once, Henney said. They hu. But the reptile isnt a wild beast and is the emotional support animal of a long-time reptile rescuer, Joie Henney. He tries to comfort people and is famous for his hugs. All Rights Reserved. The footage was captured on Friday and the alligator Wally has become an internet sensation ever since its photographs and videos were shared online. Coexisting with the America by Ben Schachtman, 2023 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910.343.1640, News Classical Mike Snider USA TODAY You've probably heard about some unusual emotional support animals including a peacock and a squirrel. This story has been shared 131,169 times. The New Hanover County Sheriffs Office did confirm that a North Carolina wildlife enforcement officer showed up on scene, assessed the situation, and decided the alligator posed no current threat to the community. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A Shy Wally the Alligator Takes a Dive - Los Angeles Times The pictures and videos of Wally the alligator have gone viral on social media. This year, the competition was opened to include animals of all kinds. They commit their routes to memory, and they return year after year, said Kent. The winner receives $10,000, and the final round of voting will end Oct. 27. Importance of school bus safety stressed at NC demonstration, RDU to rollout new parking system by spring 2024, Baby dies after pregnant woman shot in stomach: Police. Mr Henney adopted Wally and brought him home to Philadelphia, where it is legal to . As for WallyBobs eating habits, Kent said alligators slow metabolism is such that they can go days without eating another meal. In a 2020 National Geographic story appropriately titled "Alligators make terrible pets," about two gators that authorities found just hanging out in a Kansas City creek the number of . Have a story for Inspired Life? October 14, 2022 / 7:34 PM 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. However, Kent said he makes it a priority to respond if the alligator is in an emergency situation like if one is on the highway or theres an immediate threat to the alligators safety. If Wally looks familiar, he was the inspiration for the design of 'Alligator Loki' on Disney+ Voting just opened Monday for "America's Favorite Pet," and right now Wally is in second place. I shut down in a big, deep depression, Henney said. Copyright Network18 Media and Investments Ltd 2023. It's deja vu all over again as another alligator is spotted by a She served as WHQR's News Fellow from 2017-2019. WallyGator is an emotional support alligator and that, we cannot stress this enough, not a joke. Alligators have specific home ranges and this one likely travels from the Smith Creek watershed into its smaller tributaries. WallytheAlligator (@wallythealligator) | TikTok Heres how to submit. Meet Wally, the emotional support alligator who goes with his ownr Joie Henney almost everywhere. But alligator expert Joie Henney says his alligator, Wally, poses no threat. Young individuals prey on fish, insects, snails and crustaceans. Adult Mississippi alligators sometimes can hunt deer, wild pigs or even younger alligators, although they are much worse than most real crocodiles and black caimans are adapted to capture large prey. "You fool around [with their head], their instinct is to grab you. Soon, WallyGator was up on the couch with him. Their metabolism slows down even further, as does their breathing, and they basically stay put in one location to conserve energy until it warms back up. Kent said so far the state has tagged 800 of them. We also run a reptile rescue.Watch the latest video from WallytheAlligator (@wallythealligator). Wally is an emotional support alligator, . They can bite and theyre extremely hard to handle.. I saw it last year this time of the year and the year before that it was here during COVID when everything was shut down. Henney acknowledged in his Inquirer interview that Wally is still a wild animal. Henney told his Florida friend that he could take in three juvenile alligators. WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Wally the alligator's legacy lives on, this time in a battle over the remains of the 26-year-old reptile, who died in April at the Forest Park Zoo in Springfield. Enter Wally, the pet alligator. In the pictures, Wally can be seen greeting visitors and splashing in the water sprayed by the fountain. https://t.co/TYQQVaTzJF pic.twitter.com/7AVlmTxy8h ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 29, 2022 We can drive. Smaller males can be seen in large groups in close proximity to each other. My doctor wanted to give me anti-depression medicine and I wouldnt take it. "I said, 'Doc, you've lost your marbles.'" But so far, there has been no problem with the astonishing situation. For some reason, he said yes, and took in three gators, but ultimately sent two of them to New York and New Jersey. If Wally looks familiar, he was the inspiration for the design of 'Alligator Loki' on Disney+. WallyGatorwhos known for being a nice reptileis currently in the running for Americas Favorite Pet.. Lobster Lady turns 103, has been hauling traps for 95 years. Henney has cautiously handled alligators for years, and he said he noticed from the first day that WallyGator was different. Henneys friend then brought the baby alligator, then just 20 inches long, to Pennsylvania. Wally The Alligator Just Wants To Cuddle With You. 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And seniors who live at SpiriTrust Lutheran The Village at Sprenkle Drive, a retirement community in York, are delighted when they see the gator walking down the hall in his bright red animal-support vest. CNN Bystanders had an up-close and personal encounter with an alligator in Philadelphia's Love Park. Although it's catchy theme song describes it as a "swingin' alligator of the swamp," it's home is in the city zoo. He refuses to close his mouth. When they get to three feet, nobody wants them, Henney said. Kent said hes probably hunting for turtles, as to why he ends up hanging out around Wallace Park. We don't know why. Kent said its good to have trained responders like Ayscue to cut down on response time to alligator calls. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Kent said he also makes many presentations to community groups, informing them how they can peacefully co-exist with alligators who show up in the neighborhood. WiscNews Jobs 73 Fair spotlight Meet Wally, an emotional support alligator that mingles among people By Zoe Sottile and Sara Smart, CNN Aug 30, 2022 Updated Oct 4, 2022 0 Bystanders had an up-close and personal encounter with an alligator in Philadelphia's Love Park. Report a correction or typo During a hot summer, hes nice and cool to sleep with, he said. Wallygator But he went home that day with a letter from the doctor, stating that WallyGator qualified as an emotional support animal. 91.3 Wilmington 92.7 Wilmington I had Wally, and when I came home and was around him, it was all OK, said Henney, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing radiation treatment. WallyGator has visited several times, and most of the residents are eager to pet him and ask questions, Henney said. Vividseats: Official Ticketing Partner of New York Post. (Wally is a 5.5ft-long alligator, after all.) Also known as "nuisance alligators", the unwanted reptiles are usually euthanised or taken into captivity. A Philadelphia man took his emotional support alligator, Wally, to a local park where bystanders took photos and even picked up the animal to pet him. The contests official websitewhich touts itself as the worlds largest pet competitionis open to animals of all shapes, sizes, and species whose owners feel they deserve the recognition. If you dont know what youre doing, you will get bit.. They are also predators who are hardwired to believe that other creatures want to eat them, so they are defensive early on, he said. Wally the Gator and the Problem of Emotional Support Animals There are only two countries in the world where alligators live: the United States of America and China. He comforts people when they're sad.". The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of this ABC station. Henney further said that the alligator was removed from a lagoon in Florida. As for possibly relocating WallyBob, Kent said thats a dangerous proposition, too. Wally The Alligator Just Wants To Cuddle With You. Emotional support alligator cools off at Philadelphia's Love Park Henney makes a living in woodcrafting, but he has always enjoyed caring for reptiles as a pastime, he said. Most American alligators live in the states of Florida and Louisiana. Were willing to travel. Wildlife experts agree: Alligators generally dont make good pets, and theyre illegal to own in many states. (Wally is a 5.5ft-long alligator, after all. That means theyll approach because they equate people with the giving of food. While sharing the pictures, Miller wrote, This is not a drill there is an emotional support alligator in Love Park., This is NOT a drill there is an emotional support alligator in Love Park pic.twitter.com/xU7TTs6y2V Britt (@brimil) August 26, 2022. It just seems to have a ring to it and it's caught on with neighbors. Between 1948 and 2018, Florida reported 410 unprovoked bites and 25 fatalities involving the animals. / CBS News. From a young age, Henney was surrounded by a wide range of animals, such as cattle, coyotes, snakes and hogs, which makes owning a pet alligator perhaps the least surprising thing about him. A Time Warner Company. He will not hurt you.. He is constantly with me, constantly keeping my attention, and making me laugh. WallyGator is cool to the touch, but has the most relaxed personality Ive ever seen, said Hannah Tedesco, a life-enrichment leader at the center. Are you interested in astrology and zodiac signs? Because of his large size, two sheriffs officers were on scene to ensure the safety of the community and the alligator, theyre federally protected species. She was a felon who was addicted to drugs. People in Philadelphias Love Park were stunned to see an alligator being walked on a leash. And in July, two alligators killed an 80-year-old woman after she fell into a pond at a golf course in the state. Wally has become a TikTok sensation - and he's definitely not your typical alligator. Henneys best friend, Mary Johnson, recently nominated Wally for the Americas Favorite Pet award. Meet Wally, the emotional support alligator whose 'walk in the park So the bottom line for Kent, if the alligator is not posing a threat to someone or itself, leave it in its environment. He wouldnt eat live rats, and he really showed a love for cheesy popcorn, Henney said. Hes super sweet-natured.. In his experience, sometimes when people find out where a large alligator lives, it ends up dead. The man who kept Wally the Alligator in his West Springfield - MassLive I bonded with him and was committed to caring for him, Henney told the Post. All rights reserved. WallyGator does not have a harness around his mouth, but he has never bitten anyone, Henney said. In the stomachs of alligators are often found and foreign bodies. But Henneys gator companion Wally is not an ordinary pet hes an official emotional support animal and one that is now somewhat famous after video of Henney and Wally walking together in Philadelphias Love Park went viral and triggered a slew of news headlines. Hes just loveable. While WallyBob has plenty of fans in the Forest Hills area, Kent said even reporting on the sighting of an alligator like WallyBob can be a danger to the animal. He is usually called to rescue alligators when people take in cute baby gators as pets but they inevitably turn into large animals that can be difficult to handle, he said. Henney now introduces students in schools and kids in camps to Wally, educating them about reptiles. He refuses to bite everything alive. "And I knew it was for a long period of time because I had his whole jaw print on my face.". They should never be handled by people who arent trained, said Matt Evans, assistant curator of herpetology at the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in D.C. If you are interested in working with alligators, volunteer at your local zoo or nature center or get involved with citizen science, Evans said. We found that he does sense peoples emotions, and he tries to comfort them. She invited Henney and his alligator to return to the retirement home on Nov. 15 for Steve Irwin Day. WallyGator reportedly lives at his owners home and his go-to treats are cheese puff corn and raw chicken. All rights reserved (About Us). Meet Wally Seven-year-old WallyGator is a "licensed emotional support animal", says his TikTok profile which is followed by 68,100 users, as per New York Post. As they grow, the Mississippi alligators choose a larger victim: a large fish, such as armored pike; Turtles, small mammals, birds and other reptiles, while Chinese alligators, due to their small size, still consume a large number of very small animals. Please enter valid email address to continue. And one as large as WallyBob can even go as long as a year without eating. Meet Wally, the Emotional Support Alligator, Who Made the Famous Walk
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