A small, exceptionally mean caiman seized from a B.C. marijuana grow-op last month is about to make the long trip by FedEx to its new home in Tennessee.
The ornery young animal was found during a raid on a grow operation in Agassiz in February, and moved to the Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge for fostering
"He's evil. He is one of the meanest animals I've ever dealt with. You cannot touch him safely," veterinarian Adrian Walton said, adding that its personality should mellow as it grows into adulthood.
When the spectacled caiman arrived at the animal hospital, it was slightly underweight for its size, infested with parasites and had a small burn on its back. But Walton said it has made great progress, gaining 600 grams in weight in the six weeks it's been in his care.
On Wednesday morning, Walton will drive the little reptile across the border to Blaine, Washington to be boxed up for the trip down south. A company called Ship Your Reptiles sells ready-made kits specifically for mailing reptiles.
"He's going to be put into a proper box and his mouth is going to be secured so he can't hurt anybody," Walton said.
The kits also include heat packs to regulate reptiles' temperature.
Once the caiman arrives in Tennessee, it will move into a 3,000-gallon aquarium kept by a specialist who creates displays for zoos across the American South.
"He's got a real nice home to go to," Walton said.
Under B.C.'s new Controlled Alien Species Regulation, pet owners require permits to keep exotic animals like spectacled caimans.
