An alligator that was allegedly stolen from a zoo as an egg or hatchling has returned after living for more than 20 years in a woman’s private backyard.

The alligator named Tewa was recently relocated after it was discovered the reptile had been living in a residential backyard near Austin, Texas, USA, without proper permits.

Videos shared by Texas Game Wardens show the approximately 8-foot alligator being carried into the Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo in New Braunfels.

The agency said: "A special thank you to the team at Animal World and Snake Farm for assisting with the recent alligator relocation in Central Texas."

"With our combined knowledge and experience, the transition was seamless."

In a follow up from the zoo, a staffer explained that the woman who kept the alligator is believed to have been a volunteer at the zoo decades before.

They said: "[She] apparently stole this alligator, either the egg or the hatchling alligator at the time, put it in their pocket and took off."