ALBURG, Vt. (AP) – A game warden has given a local man 30 days to get rid of three alligators he moved to Vermont when he relocated to the state six months ago from North Carolina.

Mike Priestley says he uses the alligators, the largest of which is about two and a half feet long, as educational tools and that he takes them to area schools to teach children about the reptiles.

Priestley said he called the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife before moving with the alligators to Vermont.

“The person I spoke with told me that, as long as I used the alligators for educational purposes, there’d be no problem,” Priestley said.

He said he has taken the alligators to the North Hero Elementary School, as well as to his daughter’s play group.

He said there is interest from the Isle La Motte and Alburg schools as well.

The alligators live in six-foot-long aquariums in Priestley’s living room.

But local Game Warden Dan Swainbank said that Priestley needed a permit to keep alligators. He has given Priestley 30 days to find a new home for the alligators or to get a proper permit.

If Priestley doesn’t get a permit or find a new home for the alligators the state will seize them.

“The reason we don’t allow certain animals in from out of state is to curb the spread of disease,” Swainbank said. “We don’t have too many alligators in Vermont, and we don’t know what (diseases) they may carry. We certainly don’t want them around children.”

Vermont’s top game warden, Col. Robert Rooks, was asked what the chances were of Priestley receiving a permit to keep the alligators.

“None,” he said. “We don’t issue permits to people to keep alligators as pets.”

Priestley said a neighbor told the game warden about his alligators.

Priestley said he hoped to create an animal refuge on his 55-acre farm, specializing in exotic animals. In addition to the alligators, Priestley and his family have four dogs, three emus, two peacocks, 12 ducks, six geese, two pigs, three steers, and a cat.

The 18-month-old alligators were seized from a drug dealer by police in North Carolina, Priestley said.

Priestley said he would try to find a way to keep his alligators.

“I’m not doing any harm with them,” he said. “I’m not giving up.”

AP-ES-10-21-04 1606EDT