A father faces felony charges for bring home an injured eight-inch alligator for his son to nurse back to health . After finding the alligator being attacked by a bird , Kevin Gill , from Naples , Florida , told WBBH that he thought his 13-year-old son could care for the reptile while learning about gators . But when Collier County deputies were serving a search warrant on the family 's home for an unrelated issue , they came across the baby gator - and told Gill it was illegal . Scroll down for video . Arrest : Kevin Gill , pictured in a mug shot , left , was arrested after deputies found he had a small alligator inside his Florida home . He had found the injured gator and given it to his son , right , to nurse back to health . ' I had no clue , ' Gill , 45 , told WBBH . 'It was n't like I was out collecting alligators . I was trying to save an alligator and nurse it back to health and we were going to take it over to the conservancy ... ' I did n't think it was a big deal since there 's millions of them and they took them off the endangered species list . ' But after the deputies found the gator , which the family kept in a tank , they took Gill to jail . The case is being handled by Florida 's Fish and Wildlife Commission . It is a felony in Florida to keep an alligator without a license , regardless of its size . Illegal : To keep an alligator of any size in Florida , you need to apply for a license ( stock picture ) Home : The alligator was kept in this tank in the family 's Naples home after they found it outside . Stunned : Gill said he never knew keeping an alligator - especially such a small one - was illegal . Anyone who wants to own an alligator must 'demonstrate 1 year and 1,000 hours of substantial practical experience in the handling , husbandry and care of alligators or other crocodilian species ' before applying for a license , according to the Wildlife Commission . Gill said he was shocked to discover the laws . 'Everybody that I 've talked to was amazed I was arrested for something like that , ' he said . See below for video .
Kevin Gill , however , found an infected calf and took it to his home in Naples , Florida for his son to nurse back to health . But when officers were serving a search warrant on the family 's home for an unrelated issue , they found the gator and arrested him . Anyone who choose to own an alligator in Florida must complete 1,000 hours of rehabilitation - regardless of the reptile 's size .