Austin Randall, of Lyndora, holds his pet alligator, Neo, who had escaped. Neo has been found in the Kiski River. Submitted Photo

An alligator rescued around Kiski on Friday, Feb. 9, is recovering at Nate’s Reptile rescue, a Pittsburgh-based, state-licensed nonprofit rescue, according to the organization’s founder Nate Lysaght.

“He’s doing pretty well so far,” Lysaght said. “He just has the injury to he left eye, but it’s pretty minor. We’ll be getting that checked out later in the week.”

Lysaght said his team has been unable to tell the extent of the injury to the eye, but it does appear to be on the lens of the eye.

The small gator, named Neo, escaped from his owner Austin Randall, of Lyndora, on Aug. 29, while being transported to a friend’s home in Armstrong County.

Neo, who has spent the past six months living in or around the Kiski River, is also “underweight, but not dangerously so” and appears to be “stressed out,” according to Lysaght.

“We gave him a bath just when he came in because he was a little rough,” Lysaght said. “He’s been a little bit stressed out and defensive since he’s come in so we’re still trying to work with him there.”

Lysaght credits the mild winter for Neo’s survival.

“We only had two really cold weeks that would be considered dangerous to him,” he said. “But because they were so short it definitely worked out for his benefit.”

Before joining the 11 other gators found at the Kiski River that are currently at the shelter, Neo will be quarantining in a 300 gallon tank while his eye heals and he is checked for parasites.

Despite Neo’s medical issues, he’s expected to recover and gain weight once he starts eating frozen mice and rats and raw chicken provided by the rescue. American alligators can grow anywhere from 10 to 14 feet, according to Lysaght.

Neo, as with the other 11 gators, is expected to be transported to a rescue in Florida or Texas once the shelter has legal permission to send them.

“They’ll be on the first possible trip out of here,” Lysaght said. “They just need a bigger space, and I can’t really keep them cramped up any longer.”

He cautioned potential reptile owners against owning a large reptile before doing research.

“Larger reptiles don’t always make the best pet,” Lysaght said. “People should know what they’re getting into before they get any type of animal.”

He also warned about releasing unwanted reptiles into the wild.

“It’s not good for the public, it’s not good for the environment and it’s definitely not good for the animals,” he said.