WATCH: Florida man brings home baby alligator for son, faces felony charges

All Kevin Gill wanted to do was surprise his 13-year-old son with a baby alligator for him to nurse back to health.

Gill wasn’t aware that he was breaking the law and is now facing felony charges.

“I had no clue. It wasn’t like I was out collecting alligators,” Gill told NBC 2. “I was trying to save an alligator and nurse it back to health. We were going to take it over to the conservancy.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I had no clue. It wasn't like I was out collecting alligators," Gill told <a href="http://www.nbc-2.com/story/28723770/naples-man-finds-out-the-hard-way-hands-off-gator#.VSMLQfnF98F" target="_blank">NBC 2</a>. "I was trying to save an alligator and nurse it back to health. We were going to take it over to the conservancy."

Gill found the eight-inch alligator and brought it home, not thinking twice about it.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal because there’s millions of them. And they said they took them off the endangered species list,” he said.

Florida law states that no one can take an alligator or its eggs for any reason unless they have a permit from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“I don’t understand why it would be illegal,” said Gill. “Every person that I’ve talked to is amazed that I was arrested for something like that.”