LAKELAND, Fla. – Christmas came early for this year for Mary Thorn, who up until recently had been fighting to keep her 125-pound alligator named Rambo.
Her present didn't come wrapped with a bow or ribbon. Instead, it came in a sealed envelope from Florida Fish and Wildlife. In it, Thorn found a new license allowing her to keep her cold-blooded companion.
"He's just a big baby. He's momma's boy," Thorn said while the 5-foot-8-inch alligator reptile struggled to stay awake.
The news comes after FWC told Thorn she'd need 2.5 acres of land for Rambo since he's approaching 6 feet long, but Thorn pointed out that he's photosensitive, so he can't spend much time outside or in the light. Without sunscreen and shade, his scaly skin will start to blister and bubble.
As an extra layer of sun protection, he even wears custom-made clothes tailored to fit his long green frame.
By all accounts, Rambo prefers to be a house gator. For nearly 12 years, he's lived inside Thorn's Lakeland home, eaten at the table and slept in a bed just like most pets would.
On top of that, he's about as docile as a lap dog. Thorn said he never swats, bites or thrashes like most gators would. In fact, Thorn said her five guard dogs are more vicious than Rambo ever could be.
Still, Thorn cautioned that alligators aren't pets and wild animals shouldn't be removed from their natural habitat. She said the only reason she has Rambo is because he was rescued from an abusive situation where he was kept in a small tank inside a dark closet.
The news of the new license is more than welcome, but it does come with some strings attached.
Thorn will have to scale back on making appearances in public and at charity events. If she does bring him out for the occasional photo op, she'll have to tape his mouth shut, something Rambo isn't particularly fond of. He'll also need to stay inside a box when he rides on his motorcycle.
"We get to keep him on their conditions and I guess we're just going to have to be happy about that," Thorn said.
Now that she's overcome that hurdle, she plans to work to get the stipulations removed from the license so she can take him in public once again.