Two older brothers were charged with animal cruelty last week in Alaska after arguing and throwing each other’s pet from an apartment window in the winter.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, the pets were an 18-inch alligator and a 24-inch alligator. The crocodile was rescued but the crocodile was not found and is presumed dead.
While some may see the men’s actions as a strange way to resolve their conflict, others may wonder if it is legal to own bees and alligators in Alaska.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, it is legal to keep both species, just as it is legal to keep snakes and lizards as pets.
However, releasing exotic pets into the wild, where they should try to take care of themselves, is illegal and can threaten native animals. (Perhaps, throwing an animal from a window and failing to retrieve it is a form of illegal release.)
Alligators and crocodiles prefer hot weather and could not survive in the Alaskan desert, especially in winter.
Both men are in their early 30s and the incident happened outside of Wasilla.
This article originally appeared on Winning: An Alaskan sibling fight ends badly for both men, and the crocodile.