WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — Nearly a year after an alligator stunned visitors on Belle Isle, Fafnir the American alligator is growing fast and thriving in her new home at the Great Lakes Serpentarium.
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Fafnir caused a social media stir when she was spotted basking in the sun on Belle Isle in October.
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She has grown about a foot since she was netted and removed from the island — growth that is typical for a young female American alligator, which can reach up to 9 feet in length.
Great Lakes Serpentarium co-owner Kate Minnaar has had Fafnir in her care for the last 9 months.
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"She's doing great. She's grown significantly since she has been here," Minnaar said.
Minnaar recently moved Fafnir from a smaller pond to a larger one, where she now has company.
"We moved her from the little pond to the big pond, so now she has a bunch of friends to hang out with," Minnaar said.
Fafnir now shares her enclosure with 4 other alligators, all rescued from Michigan residents who purchased them as pets — which is legal in some Michigan municipalities.
"All from situations where the people couldn't properly house them anymore," Minnaar said.
Minnaar, who has kept reptiles since she was 12 years old, said Fafnir has a personality to match her growing size.
"She's got a little bit of a bite to her. No pun intended," Minnaar said.
As alligators age, their diet expands from rats to chickens — and their temperament shifts. Minnaar said alligators like Fafnir and her four enclosure mates often outgrow their friendliness as they grow larger.
"It's a wild animal. They aren't bred to be pets," Minnaar said.
Re-introducing the alligators to the wild is not an option, Minnaar said, due to health concerns about potentially spreading illness and the risk of putting people in harm's way.
"Since they're used to being around people, they'd be considered nuisance alligators if they were reintroduced," Minnaar said.
The man who rescued Fafnir from Belle Isle, Steve Hart, said leaving her there was never a real option.
"Obviously, it would not have survived the winter," Hart said.
Hart, who is known for catching turtles, called the alligator rescue his crowning achievement and described his unconventional approach to wading through the water for hours to wrangle the small creature.
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"I take on the identity of a blue heron," Hart said. "So, I'm like real stalkerish. I got a saying… 'if you don't get in the water, you won't get the turtle,'" Hart said.
Hart named the alligator Fafnir, from a figure in Norse Mythology, after successfully catching her with some help. He said he is glad she ended up where she did.
"This alligator gets to live a nice, happy life," Hart said.
Hart said he may hunt more alligators in Florida. Minnaar said she is on the hunt for a new, larger space to house the alligators as they continue to grow.
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