Kids trying to beat the Philadelphia heat got a glimpse of a little gator aid on Friday.
Video shows a young girl walking an alligator on a leash and playing in a series of water fountains in Love Park, CNN reports.
It is legal to own an alligator as a pet in Pennsylvania, CNN notes, but it’s against state law to release one into the wild.
The alligator, Wally, is a 7-year-old reptile, a TikTok star and a licensed emotional support animal, according to his social media accounts.
Wally — who likes to be pet and reportedly “loves to give hugs” — was adopted in 2016 by reptile enthusiast Joie Henney, Philly Voice reports. Henney, who is undergoing cancer treatments, has a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of care for Wally and other scaly critters he looks after at his reptile rescue.
Wally is also apparently a hopeful contestant in “America’s Favorite Pet: Animal Kingdom,” an online competition for pets where the winner will receive $10,000 and be featured in a two-page In Touch Weekly spread.
Wally’s TikTok account features a ton of videos that show kids cuddling the gator, and Wally visiting restaurants and swimming pools.
Seriously, check out some of his videos below. We promise it’s not a complete crock.
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