Wally, the social media star alligator, was released into the wild by Georgia police on April 21. Distraught, her master, Joie Henney, appeals to help her find “her baby”.
You only miss one alligator and everything is depopulated. On vacation in Brunswick in the state of Georgia (United States) on April 21, Joie Henney, an American from Pennsylvania, had his pet alligator stolen, indicates the New York Post.
In a Facebook post published on April 28, the American explains that his alligator, nicknamed Wally, was kidnapped by individuals and left on a neighboring property in order to play a bad joke. Warned, the authorities then captured the reptile before releasing it in a marsh several dozen kilometers away.
“WallyGator”
Wally, better known as WallyGator, is a social media star. He notably became known with his master in the American media when the two friends were refused entry to a baseball match in September 2023. Since then, the alligator with 145,000 followers on TikTok appears regularly in videos with his master who does not hesitate to meet his fans.
Rescued in Florida in 2015, indicates the New York Post, Wally was only 14 months old when Joie Henny decided to adopt him. Now 9 years old, the 1.60 meter long reptile is above all an “emotional support” animal for Joie Henney.
According to The ESA Registration of America, cited by CNN, there are more than 100,000 “emotional support” animals in the United States in 2023. They have a beneficial effect on their owners who have often suffered trauma or depression.
After Wally’s disappearance, Joie Henney launched an appeal to her subscribers to try to find the animal. “Wally is totally different [des autres alligators]. There has never been another like him,” he expressed in a TikTok video.
“We need all the help we can get to bring my baby back. Please help us,” the American added.
An online fundraiser has also been opened in support of Joie Henney and aims to cover possible legal and veterinary costs linked to Wally’s research. This Friday, May 3, it amounts to more than 10,000 dollars.
According to the American channel CNN, Georgia authorities indicated that the chances of finding Wally were “slim, if not almost zero”. The state of Georgia regularly receives calls about the presence of “nuisance alligators,” said Melissa Cummings, spokeswoman for the Georgia State Division of Wildlife Resources. In fact, alligators are not considered pets there, unlike in Pennsylvania where Joie Henney and Wally come from.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources also said it had no information confirming that the alligator that was released April 21 in Brunswick was Joie Henney’s, nor any other information on where it could be found now.
2024-05-03 10:55:50
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