Fred the Alligator and some of the other crocodilians taken from Reptile World have found their new home across the border.
Reptile World closed in February of this year and 142 animals were taken into protective custody. A number of the animals were taken to Indian River Reptile Zoo in Peterborough County in Ontario, while others, including Fred the Alligator were taken to Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo Ottawa.
On Tuesday, Fred the Alligator, and two other crocodilians from Reptile World finally arrived at their new home in at Alligator Adventure in North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
“We hit many snags along the way but after 6 months of focused energy and a unified front these photos represent the first of 4 crocodilian moves we are facilitating out of Canada. All of the animals have arrived safely and securely in Arizona and South Carolina,” said Little Ray’s Facebook posting.
It has been a long road for the animals. Once taken from Reptile World, They were transported across Canada in a van in mid-winter. The animals were well cared for in their homes in Ontario, before what is being dubbed Alligator express took off.
Last Friday, 17 reptiles were crated, and put on a 747 at Pearson International Airport. They were flown to Los Angeles, where they were driven to new habitats in Phoenix and South Carolina.
According to their website over the next four months the migration will continue, as they moved almost 50 crocodiles, alligators and caimans to new homes in four trips.
“This entire project has been years in the making and start to finish will be the largest move of crocodilians out of Canada,” said Little Ray’s Facebook.
It is obvious they see the value for their efforts.
“Many people asked why we are moving these animals including some very famous animals who have lived in Canada a long time. If a photo is worth a 1,000 words, these photos are probably worth a million. The vast majority of the animals we receive can never go back to the wild and we love utilizing them for educational programs but when an opportunity comes up to give them the closest thing to the wild they would ever see... it’s a no brainer.”
