JOURNAL AND COURIER (Lafayette, Indiana) 12 July 05 Found gator probably a pet (Heather Wright)

Battle Ground: Downtown Lafayette may have frogs, but Battle Ground has an alligator.

Town Marshal Jim Knogge spotted what looked to him like a stuffed animal at Tipton and Railroad streets about 1 a.m. Monday. After closer inspection, Knogge discovered a reptile more likely to be found in Florida than Indiana.

"I drove over top of him but straddled him with my tires and didn't hurt him in any way," Knogge said. "Then I turned the vehicle around and shined my high beams on him and saw glistening red eyes."

After pulling over and waiting for the animal to move off the street, Knogge cornered it in a front yard near 300 Railroad Street. Then, he contacted Mark Denhardt, director of the Tippecanoe County Exotic Animal Sanctuary, who has expertise in handling such animals.

While waiting for Denhardt, other members of the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department came to see the animal, to take pictures, and to come up with a name for the out-of-place alligator: Bob.

Although he is on call 24 hours a day, Denhardt was surprised to receive the ring from police at 1:17 a.m. Operating an exotic animal sanctuary on Klondike Road in West Lafayette, Denhardt thought it was a prank until he reached the site to find a live American alligator.

"The police had the animal surrounded with flashlights," he said. "One advantage for us was that it was night, and alligators have a hard time seeing at night."

Upon arriving, Denhardt dropped his tools and used his hands to pick up the 2-foot reptile that looked to be no more than six months old.

Denhardt said the baby animal is most likely someone's loose pet, but the alligator's constant whining has begun to raise some questions.

"A captive raised animal doesn't normally make that much noise," he said. "In Indiana, no one can own an alligator over 5 feet long without a license. But it is possible for an alligator to survive in warm areas here, such as sewage treatment plants. If a sexually mature female alligator makes it through the winter, it can lay 20-60 eggs in the spring."

The young male alligator appears to be in good health. His gums and teeth are in perfect condition, his color is good and his voice is strong.

For now, the alligator will sit in a large, plastic container where it will remain for about a month while its health is monitored. After that, it will move into a backyard tank that is also home to a crocodile found in an Indianapolis apartment three years ago as well as an alligator found in West Lafayette last July.

The gator will feast on chicken and roadkill rabbits for the next few years, Denhardt said. He will be used in educational programs at schools and camps until he is too large -- 15 or 16 feet long. Then, he will likely be sent to a zoo or other location and eventually released into the wild.

"I have dreams about animals all the time," Denhardt said. "But I only get phone calls like this three to four times a year."
Found gator probably a pet

[ Show Entire Thread ]