Authorities in New York said that they have taken custody of a giant alligator weighing hundreds of kilograms that had been living with his owner for decades.

The alligator named Albert was sized from a home in Hamburg, south of Buffalo.

Media reports citing the state Department of Environmental Conservation said that the owner of the residence did not bar members including children from going into the same pool in which the gator was.

The 340kg alligator is reported to be blind from both eyes and is having spinal complications.

The license for keeping the alligator was expired in 2021.

The statement from the agency read: “Officers took action after learning the extent to which the owner was seriously endangering the public.”

However, the owner Tony Cavallaro said Albert had been with him since the 1990s and promised to fight for his return, adding that “the alligator was like his kid and that he never put anyone in danger.”

He was quoted in Guardian: “I tried renewing it when they changed their rules and had questions to ask. They ignored my emails and phone calls to make sure I did everything right even though I should be grandfathered in. I will have a court date when they provide it.”

“I’m not dangerous, I’m not being unsafe with people,” Cavallaro was quoted as saying by the media.

“The alligator has reportedly been sent to a licensed caretaker until a proper place is found where it can receive permanent care,” the agency was quoted by Sky News as saying.