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Lake Machado Gator Scales Wall To Escape Habitat At LA Zoo
LOS ANGELES -- An alligator that was removed from Lake Machado escaped from his new home at the Los Angeles Zoo, according to zoo officials.
In a statement, zoo officials said workers arrived at the animal’s habitat Wednesday morning and reported that he was missing.
The alligator, dubbed Reggie, was found near a loading dock, just before the zoo's opening time of 10 a.m.
Staff members said the alligator apparently crawled over a wall to escape the habitat. Officials said "corrective modifications" were being implemented to keep Reggie from scaling the wall.
"This alligator just keeps amazing us," said Zoo Director John Lewis. "We've determined how he escaped and have made sure he can't get out again. We are going to keep him under watch to make sure he stays put."
Zoo spokesman Jason Jacobs said he thinks Reggie has a little more going for him than claws and a scaly hide.
"Reggie's a crafty alligator," Jacobs said.
The alligator was taken to a quarantine area. He was expected to return to his exhibit area at noon.
Reggie eluded capture for nearly two years as he lurked in a Harbor City lake, becoming something of an urban Loch Ness Monster. He made his LA Zoo debut earlier in August.
Until this month, the 7 1/2-foot, 114-pound alligator had been quarantined at the zoo since his capture in May. The zoo is home to six other American alligators and two Chinese alligators, but Reggie has his own exhibit.
Zoo officials believe Reggie is 7 to 8 years old. He is continuing to grow, and could end up being 10 feet long and 350 pounds, Lewis said.
Authorities believe a San Pedro man who was raising exotic animals at his home dumped Reggie into the lake after he grew too big. Alligators are not native to California, and keeping them as pets is illegal.
Several animal wranglers attempted to catch Reggie after he was first spotted in the summer of 2005. They included a team from Florida's Gatorland theme park, a Hurricane Katrina refugee who called himself "T-Bone" and "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, who was at the site in November 2005 and, before his death, had vowed to return.
But Reggie managed to avoid capture until May, when he was spotted sunning himself on the bank of Lake Machado by a maintenance worker from the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department who summoned a posse including several L.A. firefighters.
Until then, the effort to corral Reggie, along with security measures to protect the public at the park, had cost the city $180,000, according to Councilmember Janice Hahn.
Reggie's first meal at the zoo consisted of three quails. He eats about once a week, and in addition to quail is being fed fish, chicken and rats.
LOS ANGELES -- An alligator that was removed from Lake Machado escaped from his new home at the Los Angeles Zoo, according to zoo officials.
In a statement, zoo officials said workers arrived at the animal’s habitat Wednesday morning and reported that he was missing.
The alligator, dubbed Reggie, was found near a loading dock, just before the zoo's opening time of 10 a.m.
Staff members said the alligator apparently crawled over a wall to escape the habitat. Officials said "corrective modifications" were being implemented to keep Reggie from scaling the wall.
"This alligator just keeps amazing us," said Zoo Director John Lewis. "We've determined how he escaped and have made sure he can't get out again. We are going to keep him under watch to make sure he stays put."
Zoo spokesman Jason Jacobs said he thinks Reggie has a little more going for him than claws and a scaly hide.
"Reggie's a crafty alligator," Jacobs said.
The alligator was taken to a quarantine area. He was expected to return to his exhibit area at noon.
Reggie eluded capture for nearly two years as he lurked in a Harbor City lake, becoming something of an urban Loch Ness Monster. He made his LA Zoo debut earlier in August.
Until this month, the 7 1/2-foot, 114-pound alligator had been quarantined at the zoo since his capture in May. The zoo is home to six other American alligators and two Chinese alligators, but Reggie has his own exhibit.
Zoo officials believe Reggie is 7 to 8 years old. He is continuing to grow, and could end up being 10 feet long and 350 pounds, Lewis said.
Authorities believe a San Pedro man who was raising exotic animals at his home dumped Reggie into the lake after he grew too big. Alligators are not native to California, and keeping them as pets is illegal.
Several animal wranglers attempted to catch Reggie after he was first spotted in the summer of 2005. They included a team from Florida's Gatorland theme park, a Hurricane Katrina refugee who called himself "T-Bone" and "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, who was at the site in November 2005 and, before his death, had vowed to return.
But Reggie managed to avoid capture until May, when he was spotted sunning himself on the bank of Lake Machado by a maintenance worker from the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department who summoned a posse including several L.A. firefighters.
Until then, the effort to corral Reggie, along with security measures to protect the public at the park, had cost the city $180,000, according to Councilmember Janice Hahn.
Reggie's first meal at the zoo consisted of three quails. He eats about once a week, and in addition to quail is being fed fish, chicken and rats.
