We’ve all heard of animal rescues such as a cat stuck in a tree, or a dog hit by a car, but what about an 8-foot alligator living in a basement of a home?

Yes, this story is true!

ACCT Philly, an animal shelter and animal control unit in Philadelphia, received an unexpected call about an alligator living in a Hunting Park home.

According to ACCT, the gator named ‘Big Mack’ has been living in a padlocked enclosure since 2012.

The 8-foot, 127-pound gator was purchased as a baby by a married couple, who had just recently split.

The ex-wife, named Yali, is still living in the home where “Big Mack” was, and said she no longer wanted the gator in her basement and called ACCT to surrender it.

Although it is illegal to keep an exotic animal in Philadelphia, ACCT Philly is not pressing charges on the owner because they want to encourage people to “reach out and ask for assistance, and not be punished for doing so”.

At this point, “Big Mack” is living at ACCT Philly, until they are able to relocate him to a permanent home.