Reggie (alligator)
Encyclopedia
Reggie is the name of an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....

, believed to have been raised in illegal captivity, who became feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...

 and was sighted for two extended periods at a public park in the South Bay, Los Angeles
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...

 area in 2005 and 2007. The animal is now in captivity at Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...

.

First appearance

Reggie was first seen swimming in Machado Lake at Harbor City, California
Harbor City, Los Angeles, California
Harbor City is a community within Los Angeles, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 24,640. The ZIP Code which serves Harbor City Post is 90710.-Geography:...

's Kenneth Malloy Memorial Park in August 2005. He became a media sensation shortly thereafter, receiving coverage as far away as Europe, and eventually inspiring a website, a line of merchandise, and even becoming the official mascot for nearby Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gardena, Lomita, Wilmington and the Palos Verdes Peninsula....

.

Two men from San Pedro, California suspected of illegally raising exotic animals were arrested in August 2005 in connection with releasing Reggie into the lake.

City officials immediately set efforts in motion to apprehend him. The entire 53 acres (21.4 ha) lake was cordoned off and several professional "gator wranglers" were hired. But despite a nearly three month-long effort, Reggie managed to elude capture and began making fewer and fewer appearances until he seemed to disappear altogether. Until May of 2007, Reggie was believed to be either in hibernation or dead. "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...

 pledged that if the gator ever re-emerged, he and his crew would go to the lake and attempt a capture.

In September 2005, officials searching for Reggie discovered a smaller alligator in one of the storm drains connected to the lake. This gator was dubbed "Little Reggie".

Return

On April 30, 2007, roughly a year and a half after he was last seen, Reggie emerged on the surface of the lake and appeared to be at least a foot longer than at his last sighting 18 months earlier. Fencing was immediately put up again and more specialists were contacted to try to bring him in; he was once again in the media spotlight.

Capture

On May 24, 2007, Reggie stepped out of the water and went over to a 300 feet (91.4 m) area of dry land. Officials who were there quickly seized the opportunity and cornered him. One of the officials, a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

 employee and Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians Ian Recchio jumped on his back, threw a t-shirt over his head, and wrapped duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...

 around his snout. He was seven feet long at the time of his capture. As of May 26, 2007, Reggie is residing at the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...

.

Escape

On August 15, 2007, zookeepers at the Los Angeles Zoo discovered Reggie missing from his habitat when they entered the facility at 10 a.m. Reggie was later found near a loading dock within the zoo proper, and returned to his cage. Zookeepers vowed to make "modifications" to his habitat to prevent future escapes.
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