Tony Cavallaro sued the state of New York after his beloved Albert was seized by local officials in March 2024, WIVB News 4 reports.

Despite promising signs of success, he said the mounting legal costs and long period uncertainty had become too great.

The Texas rehabilitation centre where Albert currently lives will now become his permanent home, according to local officials.

Mr Cavallaro said: “We discussed all the options and likely outcomes, and we decided at that point after two years of litigation we didn’t want to continue to do this.

“The [New York Department of Environmental Conservation] would’ve been all over him in terms of observation, checking in, and requirements. Ultimately, it didn’t seem worth it at the end of the day.”

Attorney Peter Kooshoian said: “Tony’s upset. He feels like he was wrongly treated by the government, and I don’t blame him.”