Throwback Thursday: Ten years ago, “Clem” – a 125 pound alligator measuring 8 feet 3 inches – was found on the BLM Arizona Strip.
For years, a few curious souls tried to catch a glimpse of an alligator that reportedly lived in a shallow pond on a private ranch, on the remote Arizona Strip. Turns out, this urban legend had been gifted by a friend from Alabama to a rancher as a pet. Somehow, the seldom-seen alligator managed to make his home in the Pakoon Springs in the Mojave Desert for 20 years.
When the property was later acquired by the BLM Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Clem was found by employees from the BLM Arizona Strip. With assistance from alligator wrangler Russ Johnson, the malnourished alligator was relocated to the Arizona Herpetological Society Sanctuary in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Today, Clem now measures a massive 11 feet and weighs a whopping 500 pounds, thanks to a hearty diet and suitable habitat provided by the Arizona Herpetological Society Sanctuary. And he has a friend, “Fluffy,” pictured above.
By Rachel Tueller, BLM Arizona Public Affairs Specialist and BLM Tumblr Blogger