When animals go wild in NJ: Snakes, alligators, tigers and more

Alligators are definitely out of the ordinary in New Jersey — but memorable wild animal encounters have certainly racked up, around the state.

Alligator on the loose is finally caught in NJ

The recent chaos caused by a stray gator in Middlesex County was peaceful resolved within a couple weeks time.

It was actually the second of the reptiles known to have been discovered this year, alone!

Other incidents to make headlines in 2023 have included snakes, both native and exotic.

Going back a few years in NJ, there have been wild turkeys, a runaway bull and even NJ's own tiger "royalty."

Animals gone wild in NJ: Turkeys, tigers, snakes, bears and more

The best of animal encounters — real and a few rumored — from around New Jersey.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

As some of the animals were escaped pets — it bears mentioning that there are a number of animals that are off-limits to keep in NJ — while some require special permits.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany