CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in California say an alligator named "Mr. Teeth" that was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana has been taken to Oakland Zoo.

When Alameda County Sheriff's investigators entered 32-year-old Assif Mayar's home on Wednesday afternoon for a probation check, they found not only 34 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $100,000 but also a 5-foot gator inside a tank in a bedroom.

Sgt. J.D. Nelson says Mr. Teeth was likely used to deter marijuana thieves. Mayar told investigators he got the gator to commemorate rapper Tupac Shakur's 1996 death.

He was arrested and in jail on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale.

Officials say Mr. Teeth is very sick and being treated at the zoo's veterinary hospital.