Off the I-15

Last week a story from the Associated Press noted that two alligators (or possibly crocodiles) turned up in a Pennsylvania creek. My later efforts to track down more information led me to some Web sites claiming it was a lake, but the AP story definitely said “creek.” How does a huge reptile hide in such a small body of water?

I shared the story of the reptilian invasion with whoever was listening in the newsroom, and Aaron Aupperlee noted that those creatures were “way lost” and in a much worse situation than, for example, the whales that ended up navigating a freshwater strait in an accidental detour en route to the Pacific Ocean.

As someone who’s prone to getting lost — whether on remote desert roads or in the Hollywood Hills — I sympathize with these wayward animals. At least my main worry on such a journey is making it to the next gas station to fuel up and get directions. What must it be like to get lost among creatures of another species, like the bear who wandered into a health clinic? It must be the equivalent of me aimlessly trying to find the way out of a rain forest.

Naturally all these lost animal escapades reminded me of an ongoing story that drew a lot of interest, the tale of Reggie, the ’gator so sly he spent about two years in a California lake and eluded some serious organized efforts to get him out of there. As day-after-day of stories ran about experts trying and failing to trap the beast, Reggie stirred up not just interest but enthusiasm. How could an alligator give experts the slip for so long when they knew what lake his former owner had dumped him in? Why could he be spotted (by eager lake watchers) but not caught? With this mysterious elusive power, Reggie gained a status akin to that of a superhero. Maybe he fought crime and rescued bottom-dwellers in distress deep down at the bottom of Lake Machado. Maybe one of his fans should knit him a cape embroidered with an “R.”

But Reggie, like any other pop culture phenomenon, faded from news reports once his extended live show concluded. What happened to Reggie?

As with any offbeat query, I looked to the Internet. Several reports noted Reggie went of to the Los Angeles Zoo, but none of the stories were recent.

So I checked in with Roxanne Lane, a zoo spokesperson.
Yes, she said, Reggie is still there. He’s quarantined right now undergoing exams to make sure he’s healthy. There was an exciting benchmark passed on June 29, when Reggie devoured his first meal — quail — since arriving at the zoo in late May. Previously, he refused the offered food. That doesn’t indicate a problem, though; Lane said long stretches between meals are normal for alligators. Testing confirmed that the 111-pound, 7 1/2-foot-long Reggie is male, Lane said.

Soon, Reggie will make his zoo debut. Lane said the exact date Reggie will go on display hasn’t yet been announced.

— Stevie St. John, City Editor

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 at 3:54 pm and is filed under Way off the I-15. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.