AMHERST, N.Y. (WWTI/WIVB) — Two people have been arrested on exotic animal charges and charged for unlawfully possessing an alligator.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), on March 22, Environmental Conservation Police received a call from a man in the town of Amherst claiming he had recently rescued an alligator from a “bad home” and needed help rehoming the reptile.

“However, when questioned, the subject’s rescue tale fell apart and he admitted to buying the alligator to keep as a pet,” the DEC says. “Recognizing a 3.5-foot alligator is too dangerous and difficult to care for, the owner attempted to sell it without success.”

The man was charged with unlawful possession of an animal and the alligator was turned over to a permitted handler.

A few days after the incident, DEC tracked down the original seller of the alligator in the city of Dunkirk, New York. The DEC charged the seller with unlawfully possessing an alligator. An investigation into this incident remains ongoing and additional charges are pending.