Alligator sighting prompts ordinance

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Alligators, baboons, zebras among village's banned critters

By a unanimous vote of the Manchester Village Council on Monday night, there shall be no alligators, badgers, ground hogs, cheetahs, sharks, baboons, zebras, gophers or rhinoceroses kept as pets inside the village limits.

In fact, the new exotic and wild animal ordinance prohibits the keeping of about 100 species that also includes ducks, traditional farm animals, antelope and snow leopards. Introduction of the new ordinance was the result of residents' concern about a neighbor who had a 5- to 6-foot alligator that was seen sunning itself inside a fenced area near City Road and Torry Street.

Village Manager Jeff Wallace said the alligator sighting caused several residents to seek the Village Council's assistance. They sent letters and spoke to the council during public meetings.

He said police investigated the complaint and found that the animal was well cared for, but this did not allay the fears of nearby residents.

Without an ordinance in place, there was nothing that the village could do, said Village President Pat Vailliencourt, so the council had Wallace research exotic and wild animal ordinances.

Using portions of similar ordinances from other municipalities in the state, Wallace put together an ordinance "to promote public health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the community by banning the owning or keeping of certain animals.''

The village isn't alone. Exotic animals are prohibited in Ann Arbor, according to city ordinance that states in part, "No person shall keep or house any animals or domestic fowl within the city except dogs, cats, rabbits, canaries or small animals commonly classified as pets which are customarily kept or housed inside dwellings as household pets.''

Recently, the city adopted a so-called chicken ordinance that allows residents to house up to four hens with certain restrictions.

Nearby Chelsea and Dexter do not specifically have an exotic animal ordinance.

Already on the books in Manchester was an ordinance that restricted farm animal ownership but it did not cover exotic or wild animals, Vailliencourt said.

Manchester's new ordinance will go into effect within 45 days, Wallace said, and owners of exotic or wild animals will have to remove any banned animals from the village or face fines of $1,000.

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