This is so sad... Philly residents, please be on the lookout for him! Maybe he'll be abandoned or turned in to a shelter.
July 16, 2004
Iguana stolen from zoo
Lizard was part of education program
By GLORIA CAMPISI
campisg@phillynews.com
An iguana named Chips, whose job was to tour Philadelphia schools, has been stolen from the Philadelphia Zoo.
Police said someone broke into the Shelly administration building at the zoo, 34th Street and Girard Avenue, sometime late Wednesday and made off with Chips, a "common green iguana," according to zoo spokeswoman Ginette Meluso.
Ron Fricke, zoo vice president for education, and security guard Larry Thomas discovered a window broken and the lizard gone about 11 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The guard was accompanying Fricke, who had been out at an education program, to let him back into one of the offices, Meluso said.
The only clues were a set of muddy footprints, police said.
"Nothing else was taken from the room and the room was not left in any sort of disarray," Meluso said.
Chips is green, about 30 inches long, and 2 ˝ years old, Meluso said. An unwanted pet, he was donated to the zoo, she said.
He lived alone in a large custom enclosure specially built for iguanas, and was valued at $40 to $50, Meluso said.
Chips is one of about 150 animals in the zoo's education program, which visits schools, nursing homes and other community sites. The animals taking part in the program are mostly birds, snakes and other reptiles and small mammals.
Meluso said iguanas have some "special needs," including vitamins and minerals, and also need natural light or equivalent artificial light and heat for "basking."
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