The LA Times reports that Reggie the gator is back after an 18 month absence. A couple of things make this a great story. For one thing, Machado Lake is a 40 acre patch of marshy wildness in the heart of a hard-bitten Los Angeles suburb. It’s a nature story in the middle of an industrial city.
Another thing that makes this story great is the fact that the city has spent $50,000 and rising to catch the gator… yet critter comes out on top. This despite the best efforts of seasoned professionals with names like “T-Bone” and credentials from Gatorland.
In the meantime, gator is doing it’s thing, possibly erradicating other non-native species. This might be considered ironic if it wasn’t happening in Harbor City, a place that has no harbor and isn’t really a city.
UPDATE: Reggie has a blog.