GREENEVILLE SUN (Tennessee) 16 June 04 ‘Little Dragon,’ A 4.5-Foot Caiman, Escapes Into A Neighbor’s Pond (Bill Jones)
When Saturday night’s thunderstorms roared through Chuckey, Larry Marshall’s pet “Little Dragon” ran away and took refuge in a neighbor’s farm pond.
Unfortunately, Little Dragon, according to his owner, is a “dwarf spectacled caiman,” a four and a half foot-long, 50-pound alligator-like reptile that pond owner William “Bill” Renner says he would rather see elsewhere.
Renner told a Greeneville Sun reporter that he had thought the animal in his pond was an alligator and had feared for the safety of his children and pets.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officer James McAfee, who came to Renner’s Barren Road property on Monday afternoon after Renner telephoned the TWRA, said Little Dragon poses no real danger to humans, although it is capable of inflicting a painful bite if provoked.
“If he bites you, you’re going to know it,” McAfee said.
The officer also said caimans are considered pets “just like dogs” under Tennessee law. As a result, Officer McAfee said, the TWRA does not have jurisdiction over caimans.
However, the TWRA officer warned that the caiman likely will dine on fish, ducks or small dogs who stray too close to the pond in which he has taken up residence. Neighbors Reach Agreement
On Monday afternoon, Officer McAfee negotiated an agreement between land-owner Renner and caiman-owner Marshall under which Marshall has 48 hours to recapture Little Dragon and remove him from Renner’s pond.
If Marshall is unable to capture his pet caiman before the 48-hour time limit expires, Officer McAfee said — and both Marshall and Renner agree — the animal can be destroyed.
McAfee also said that Renner could take the matter to court and file a criminal summons against Marshall for allowing his pet to roam at large, just as would be the case if Little Dragon were a dog or a cow.
Renner said he was not opposed to seeing the 48-hour time limit extended if he saw evidence that Marshall was making a good-faith effort to reclaim the roaming amphibian.
He also said he was somewhat reassured by TWRA Officer McAfee’s comments that the caiman was not considered really dangerous.
Marshall, who said he has had Little Dragon as a pet for nine years, noted that he gone into the 20-foot deep pond twice since Little Dragon escaped from his pen in an attempt to capture his pet, but had been unsuccessful.
On Monday afternoon, while a Greeneville Sun reporter and photographer were present, Marshall said he had raised Little Dragon from an egg that he acquired several years ago while on an animal rescue mission in South America.
“I don’t want to lose him,” Marshall said.
But Marshall also said he had telephoned a wildlife exhibitor from Sevier County and a representative from the Knoxville Zoo in search of a possible new home for Little Dragon.
In an effort to capture Little Dragon on Monday afternoon, Marshall called his friend, Gerald Miller, of Clear Springs Road, for help.
Miller arrived first with a large casting net, but decided that he could not throw the net far enough from the pond’s shore to snare the wiley caiman who apparently stayed, for the most part, near the middle of the pond.
After discussions with Officer McAfee, Miller and his younger brother, Nathanael, retrieved a wire-mesh “live trap” from the home and brought it to the pond. There, Marshall cut up store-bought chicken into pieces and placed them inside the trap, which was positioned on the bank of the pond.
Marshall then tossed bits of chicken toward Little Dragon in an attempt to lure the caiman toward the trap.
Possibly spooked by several people who had gathered near the pond, Little Dragon remained in deep water and showed no interest in either the trap or the bits of chicken flung in his direction by Marshall.
Later, Bill Renner’s brother, Terry, tied a chunk of chicken to a string and heaved it toward Little Dragon in an effort to lure him toward the trap. Unfortunately, Little Dragon responded by diving out of sight. He resurfaced later at the far end of the pond.
Property owner Renner said he planned to telephone TWRA Officer McAfee again later this week to report to him about the situation.
Before leaving, McAfee said he was glad that Renner and Marshall could work toward resolving the case of the wandering reptile in an amicable manner.
‘Little Dragon,’ A 4.5-Foot Caiman, Escapes Into A Neighbor’s Pond