U.S. Department of Justice agents said they seized a 4-foot alligator being used to guard a $1.5 million marijuana stash in California.

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Investigators said Wally the "watchgator" was found in a water-filled cement-mixing tub in a back room of the Hemet home where agents seized 2,285 marijuana plants, worth an estimated $1.5 million, as well as processed marijuana and hashish, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise reported Friday.

John Nathan Donna, 29, was arrested during the Monday night raid on suspicion of possession of concentrated cannabis and cultivation of marijuana for sale. He was released Tuesday on $100,000 bail.

The alligator was taken to the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary in San Bernardino County.

"He was extremely healthy -- a little too well taken care of," said Joel Almquist, who runs the sanctuary. "It's still an alligator; some are pretty mellow, but if you get bit by a three-footer, you're going to remember it for a long time. It's kind of like being bit by a vise with teeth. It's not a pleasant experience."