Zoo discovers 70 U.S. coins in alligator’s stomach
OMAHA, Nebraska (WJW) – Nebraska zoo officials are reminding guests not to toss coins into bodies of water at the facility after extracting 70 of them from a resident alligator’s stomach.
Veterinarians at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium noticed foreign metal objects in the alligator’s stomach during a routine examination of the animal, zoo officials said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The 36-year-old American alligator, named Thibodaux, underwent surgery on Feb. 15 to remove the coins before they could cause any damage.
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“With the help of his training, Thibodaux was anesthetized and intubated to allow us to safely manage him during the procedure,” said associate veterinarian Christina Ploog, DVM in the Facebook post.
Zoo officials say a plastic pipe was placed in the alligator’s mouth so veterinarians could safely extract the coins.
Veterinarians found 70 U.S. coins during the procedure. An X-ray confirmed that all the coins had been removed.
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As seen in the video above, zoo officials say Thibodaux is back in his habitat and recovering well.
“Guests should not throw coins into any bodies of water at the zoo,” the Facebook post warned. “Any loose change can instead be turned in for a souvenir coin in one of the several machines around the zoo or in our coin wishing well located in the atrium of the Desert Dome.”
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has 10 American alligators in its care. You can learn more about the zoo here.
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