A Rotherham man has been fined after keeping a pet alligator named Cliff in his back garden without a proper licence.
Ashley Betts, 32, pleaded guilty to breaching the Dangerous Wild Animals Act at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The metre-long reptile had been kept at his home for a year before authorities discovered it – though Betts claimed he was unaware he needed a special licence to keep such an exotic creature.
The court ordered Betts to pay a fine of £333 for the offence, alongside a victim surcharge of £132 and £468 in costs.
The court ordered Betts to pay a fine of £333 for the offence
According to the BBC, Betts hopes to eventually gain a proper licence to keep exotic creatures, and has expressed a desire to get Cliff back once he has the appropriate documentation.
Meanwhile, the Sheffield Star reported that when questioned about the alligator’s origin, Betts said he had received it from a friend.
Police discovered the large reptile at the 32-year-old’s Rotherham home in July 2024.
The alligator was kept in a special outhouse and tank before being confiscated by authorities.
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The metre-long reptile had been kept at his home for a year before authorities discovered it (file photo)
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Betts was not prosecuted for any cruelty to the animal – while there was “no suggestion” that Cliff was kept in poor conditions.
Meanwhile, videos shared by Betts on TikTok showed the alligator reaching its head, neck and arm over the edge of its tank as it was fed raw chicken.
There was also no indication that Cliff was kept in a way that presented a danger to others.
Following his confiscation, the alligator has been moved to a temporary home at a park in Liverpool, approximately 70 miles away from Rotherham.
Betts, 32, pleaded guilty to breaching the Dangerous Wild Animals Act at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court
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And despite losing his unusual pet, Betts has vowed that the pair can one day reunite.
His defence counsel, James Gray, told the court: “Betts is not being prosecuted for neglect or mistreatment.
“What he is hoping to achieve is, by working with the appropriate departments of the council, he can one day obtain a licence and apply to get the alligator back.”
All species of alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials require a licence to keep under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
And while it is not known how many dangerous animals owned legally in England and Wales, data released in 2016 revealed that across more than 100 councils, just 10 alligators were legally registered.