Editorial: Do we need more gator laws?

“Jurassic Park” is a heck of a movie. Indeed, it is a great franchise of movies. Michael Crichton’s bestselling book as the skeleton and Stephen Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster thriller brought us all face to face — or screen to face — with reptilian claws and teeth.

Five more movies followed. Our fascination with dinosaurs has amounted to billions in box office revenue. The franchise ranks between the “Lord of the Rings” and “X-Men” films as the most profitable of all time.

As with monsters, just because we like to see big, scary reptiles at the movies doesn’t mean we are eager to encounter them in real life.

Like alligators.

Yet again, the Kiski River has been the subject of a gator sighting. It was just last month that a 4-foot alligator now nicknamed Chomper was hauled out of the river by kayakers after a week of searching. The amphibious predator wasn’t just in the water. Signs of him also were seen on land, which is alarming for hikers and dog owners.

So where did the gators come from? No one can say, although Armstrong County Humane Officer and volunteer Amber Phillips said Chomper responded well to being petted after he was caught. That does suggest he was familiar with humans and was possibly a pet who escaped or was released?

This is why Pittsburgh spent more than a year working on legislation regarding potentially dangerous reptiles. The animals were banned as pets if they were not already owned; existing animals had specific requirements for ownership, including $1 million insurance coverage. Break the law and pay a $1,000 fine.

Other communities should take this step. Counties should consider it, too. As exotic pets grow in popularity, these animals keep making their way into the wild. In addition to the Kiski gators and multiple examples that prompted the Pittsburgh law, Pennsylvania has seen multiple gators in or near waterways annually.

Alligators grow at a rate of about a foot per year for the first six years. That means it doesn’t take long for a cute pet to become something scary.

And to paraphrase Pittsburgh’s own Jeff Goldblum in his “Jurassic Park” role as Dr. Ian Malcolm, just because you can keep a small dinosaur in your house doesn’t mean you should. It does, however, suggest municipalities should take steps to prevent problems.