NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A new evolution in a bizarre story. Over the weeekend, neighbors in the Bicycle Community of Bedford County institute remains of what looked like an alligator.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency now say it was actually a dwarf caiman carcass.

Dwarf caiman is an animal that is legal to own in Tennessee. Alligators are not.

One mystery solved, but a couple more remain.

Where did the caimen come from?

Helm Walter Cook with the TWRA says the owners had some permits through his function for some native animals and "they acquired animals."

Ii of those animals were dwarf caimans, ane of which escaped from its enclose and was hit by a car and died.

"They're legal with the county, legal with usa," said Melt. "Caimans are legal because the pet manufacture in 1991 asked caimans to be taken out of classification I, which is illegal to possess outside of a zoo. They contend they don't go that large and accept very common pet traits with no problems."

From hooves to beaks, tails to claws, what's legal to own in Tennessee and what'due south non?

Tennessee's exotic animal constabulary places wild animals into 5 classifications.

Class I: This class includes all species inherently dangerous to humans. All of the Grade I animals are illegal when information technology comes to personal possession.

  • Primates: Gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, gibbons, siamangs, mandrills, drills, baboons, Gelada baboons
  • Wolves: All species
  • Bears: All species
  • Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars: All species
  • Elephants: All species
  • Rhinoceroses: All species
  • Hippopotamus
  • African buffalo
  • Crocodiles and alligators: All species
  • Snakes: All poisonous species
  • Amphibians: All poisonous species

Form Two: This class includes native species, except those listed in other classes.

Form Iii: This class requires no permits except those required by the department of agronomics, and includes all species non listed in other classes.

  • Nonpoisonous reptiles and amphibians except caimans and gavials
  • Rodents: Gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, squirrels and chipmunks
  • Rabbits, hares, moles and shrews
  • Ferrets and chinchillas
  • Llamas, alpacas, guanacos, vicunas, camels, giraffes and bison
  • Avian species not otherwise listed, excluding North American game birds, ostriches and cassowary
  • Semi-domestic hogs, sheep and goats
  • All fish held in aquaria
  • Bovidae not otherwise listed
  • Marsupials
  • Common domestic farm animals
  • Equidae
  • Primates not otherwise listed
  • Bobcat/domestic true cat hybrids
  • Hybrids resulting from a cross between a Course Two species and a domestic creature or Form Three species
  • Cervidae, except white-tailed deer and wild elk. Elk originating from a legal source while held in captivity for the purpose of farming shall be regarded equally Class III wildlife. All other elk shall be wild elk and shall be regarded as Class II wildlife. No person shall possess elk in captivity within the eastern 1000 division of the state as defined in § 4-1-202 without having documentary evidence indicating the origin of the elk existence held. This documentary show will be presented to the agents of the section of agronomics or the wild animals resource agency upon request. Sale documentation of offspring of purchased elk is not required
  • Furbearing mammals, including those native to Tennessee, raised solely for the auction of fur

Yeah, that's correct – Ostriches, giraffes and camels are all legal to ain.

Class Four: This course includes those native species that may be possessed only past zoos.

  • Blackness carry
  • White-tailed deer
  • Wild turkey including the eggs of wild turkey;
  • Hybrids of a Form Four species, other than bobcat
  • Animals that are morphologically duplicate from native Course Iv wild fauna

Course Five: This class includes such species that the committee, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Agronomics, may designate by rules and regulations every bit injurious to the environment. Species so designated may simply exist held in zoos under such atmospheric condition equally to prevent the release or escape of such wildlife into the environment.

TWRA is still unaware how the caiman escaped, merely say the rest of the animals in the owners' possession accept been placed with new families. Every animal these owners had was completely legal, News two was told.

"In that location's been no violation and we antiseptic the matter."

Go on in listen, it is non legal to take an fauna out of the wild and keep it every bit a pet.