Neo, the rescued Kiski River alligator, among more than 70 animals to die in South Park fire

Neo didn’t make it.

The wayward alligator, only recently recovered in Kiski Township after escaping and apparently living along the Kiski River since last summer, was one of the more than 70 animals confirmed to have died in a fire that swept through Nate’s Reptile Rescue in South Park on Monday.

There were about 100 animals inside, Allegheny County Police posted on the X social media platform.

“I know 11 gators survived, and 14 red eared sliders, and some surviving turtles,” Armstrong County Humane Officer Amber Phillips said.

Phillips worked closely with Nate’s owner, Nathan Lysaght, to relocate a number of alligators from a home in Kiski Township last summer.

Another alligator that escaped last summer, Chomper, survived the fire, Phillips said, but his exact condition was not known.

“He was thrashing around pretty good, which is a good sign,” said Phillips, who was on hand Monday evening to help with the rescue of reptiles from Nate’s.

Chomper’s case was picked up by media outlets across the nation after it was sighted several times in the Kiski River last summer by boaters. The sightings touched off weeks of searches to recover the animal. Phillips and Kiski Township police set baited traps to lure Chomper from the river but, in the end, some kayakers were able to grab the gator and bring it to shore, and Phillips took it to Nate’s.

Lysaght said at the time he intended to keep Chomper to make it into an animal ambassador that could be shown to explain the wonders of alligators — and why they shouldn’t be kept as pets.

Calls to Lysaght were not returned Monday or Tuesday.

“Nate was in shock and trying to comprehend how he will pick up the pieces. He lost all of his heat lamps, lights, everything,” Phillips said.

Phillips arrived at Nate’s about 6 p.m. Monday and helped with rescue efforts until about 8:30.

Allegheny County Deputy Sheriff Steve Costello noticed the building, at the intersection of Brownsville and McCorkle roads, was ablaze just before 4 p.m., sheriff’s office spokesperson Mike Manko said.

The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating.

Nate’s Reptile Rescue is a state-licensed animal rescue that accepts reptiles whose owners can no longer care for them. The rescue became a nonprofit in March 2014, according to its website.

Phillips said the effect of the fire goes beyond the animals that died.

“This is such a loss for the reptile community. A lot of us humane officers relied on him for housing,” Phillips said. “We’re very limited in resources, and Nate was always there to step in. He never hesitated and (regarding) the whole Chomper alligator story, he guided me a lot on what to do.”

The surviving animals were taken to another undisclosed animal rescue in the region.

“My heart breaks for Nate because there’s nothing we can do except help him pick up the pieces,” Phillips said.

Phillips said plans are underway for multiple fundraisers.

“In order for him to help animals, we need to help him,” she said. “He is an asset to the reptile world.”

TribLive staff writer Quincey Reese contributed to this report.