animalnewsblog.com

“Reggie,” the alligator that had previously lived in a California lake, just got a new home at the LA Zoo.  It was speculated that Reggie was a former pet abandoned after he got too large.  He had been living in Machado Lake for about 2 years and causing Harbor City a lot of grief trying to capture him and keep the public safe.  Reggie had been subsisting on crayfish, frogs, and “people food” given to him.  Not exactly an ideal diet for an American Alligator.  In his new enclosure, he is sure to have the best food and care available, along with the opportunity to educate the public.  I am quite pleased that Reggie got to have such a happy ending, but the larger problem remains of people purchasing dangerous exotic animals as pets and then leaving them in lakes and ponds.  I myself have seen baby alligators for sale for only $25 at reptile shows.  Alligators, large snakes, and other large exotics are not meant to be pets and the animal community as a whole needs to continue to educate the public on responsible pet ownership.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/10/AR2007081000581.html