You now have one more reason to visit the Los Angeles Zoo.
For those of you who have never made the trip, the L.A. Zoo is one of the only places in the world where you can see the rare and endangered Sumatran rhino and Arabian Oryx living within walking distance of each other. But these days it is a slightly less exotic animal that is drawing big crowds to the metropolitan zoo.
His name is Reggie. He measures 7 1/2–feet-long, weighs about 115 pounds and… he’s an alligator. But, not just any alligator… Reggie, the alligator has a storied past. According to zoo officials, Reggie was first spotted in a local lake back in August 2005. Apparently, a man who illegally raised Reggie as a pet dumped him in the lake when it got too big. Over the next two years, Reggie made the 53-acre lake his home and survived by dining on frogs, crayfish and handouts from visitors and park officials. All the while the sly alligator outwitted several efforts by professional wranglers to capture him. And with each failed attempt Reggie’s notoriety grew.
According to city officials, workers spent nearly $200,000 trying to lure Reggie out of the water (for safety reasons the alligator wasn’t a welcome resident at the public lake). Finally, a few months ago, a park maintenance worker spotter Reggie sunning himself on a lake bank and captured the elusive gator. Then, just yesterday (after a few months in quarantine) Reggie was moved to his new digs at the L.A. Zoo.
And make no mistake; this was no small celebration. Hundreds of people showed up for Reggie’s unveiling, many wearing Reggie T-shirts and alligator hats. For his part Reggie seemed unphased by the attention. Zoo officials say Reggie silently slipped into a pool at his new home, which alligator handlers call a “luxury suite.” Make that a private luxury suite. Zookeepers say the facility is home to six other American alligators and two Chinese alligators. But Reggie gets his own fenced pond, which features a waterfall and marshy plantings.
If you can’t make it out to the L.A. Zoo in the next few months don’t despair. Zoo administrators say Reggie will be around for a while. What’s more, they say he is still growing and could eventually top out at 10 feet long and 350 pounds.
To learn more about the L.A. Zoo click here and here.
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