8/23/2008

in

The five-foot reptile had been raised in a Hollywood home when police discovered it.

Ray Padgett

When L.A. police officers went on a routine call to a Hollywood home, they discovered an unregistered guest at the residence: Ziggy, a five-and-a-half foot alligator.  
  
Ziggy's owner, whose name was not released, had raised the gator for the past five years without incident, but surrendered it willingly to police. The owner seemed to have done a fine job caring for him, said Kathy Davis, assistant manager for L.A. animal services, who proclaimed the animal in "good health."  
  
"I don't know how you have dinner parties with an alligator in the house," Davis said. "This is the largest reptile we've seized in a long time."  
  
The average male gator can grow up to thirteen feet, Davis reported, and are so dangerous that a state permit is required to have one. California Fish and Game is currently determining whether the owner will face any criminal charges.  
  
Ziggy has been turned over to a local herpetology society, where he will remain indefinitely. Davis hinted that the big picture plan is to turn him over to a local zoo, as is usually done in cases like this.  
  
"Our local zoo is an excellent venue for viewing wild animals in habitats conducive to their species," Davis said. "Residents are urged to adopt traditional pets, such as dogs, cats and rabbits, from our shelters in lieu of wild animals, whose care and containment can often be overwhelming. Worse, an escaped wild animal can be disastrous for all involved."