Lost and Found: The Alligator Left Behind in a Michigan Motel

While guests have a habit of forgetting their phone charges when they check out of a motel, they rarely leave alligators behind. But it happened in Northern Michigan.

The staff at the Pine River Motel in Cheboygan discovered the exotic pet while cleaning the room on Friday (3/14). Cheboygan is about 15 minutes from the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Lost and Found:  Wally the Alligator

There's a simple explanation why Wall the alligator was left behind at the Pine River. His owner simply lost track of one of his exotic pets.

To break it down further, the gator's owner was contracted to appear at two elementary schools in the area to give the kids some exposure to the exotic animals. He must have quite a collection if he misplaced an alligator.

After leaving the area, he realized that Wally was missing, but wasn't sure where or how he'd escaped.

Cleaning Crew Discovers Alligator in a Motel Room

Gary is the Manager at the Pine River Motel. He and his nephew were on duty the day after the guest checked out. Gary tells Up North Live that he asked his nephew to check under the beds for trash while they were cleaning the room. That's when they discovered Wally.

In the video below, you'll see what the cleaning crew discovered.

Police Did Not Arrest Wally

By the time the gator was discovered, his owner was in Detroit. He made the 4.5 hour trek back to Cheboygan to retrieve the pet. Lt. Ron White with the Cheboygan Police Department tells the TV station that the man reassured officers that Wally was friendly.