KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In March 2024, a 16-year-old angler reeled in the catch of a lifetime from an East Tennessee lake — an alligator.
It was up to 4 feet long, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said it was taken to the Little Ponderosa Zoo. It stayed there for around two months while staff searched for a place that was better equipped to care for it. The zoo said it did not have enough space for the alligator.
The zoo's assistant manager eventually contacted a location in Florida — Jungle Adventures. It is located in Christmas, Florida, and is an animal park that gives visitors a chance to explore an area filled with different kinds of replies, exotic cats, deer, tropical birds and more.
The animal park is around 700 miles from Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue, and a member of the zoo's staff drove to Florida to deliver the alligator to its new home.