Missing Northland alligator found in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After little to no updates, searches suspended and numerous headlines published in the metro, the infamous missing alligator from a Kansas City middle school was found alive after more than a week.

The 2-year-old American alligator, now known as Alex, was part of an impromptu petting zoo exhibit at Lakeview Middle School in Northland on Thursday, May 23. While serving as a special guest at school, the alligator disappeared without a trace. trace.

However, the mystery ended Monday morning when a member of Lakeview's custodial staff found Alex outside the middle school's back door, the Park Hill school district said.

Today, after his 11-day excursion, Alex is sitting at the KC Pet Project where he is undergoing testing to determine his health and well-being.

When Alex went missing, Eric Smith, the alligator's owner and operator of Thorni Ridge Exotics mobile petting zoo, felt there was more to the story than just an escaped alligator. He filed a theft report with the Kansas City Police Department, believing someone had taken Alex because it was difficult to escape from his animal enclosures.

Now, Smith says he's waiting for a call from the organization and animal control after not being allowed to take Alex home due to veterinary restrictions.

Although Alex's disappearance affected Smith over the past 11 days, he wasn't the only one worried about the little alligator.

Kansas City residents, animal advocates and animal control organizations searched for the 14-inch reptile, hoping to find it safe. While participating in the petting zoo, Alex's mouth was taped shut to ensure the safety of students and staff. However, this left him vulnerable to predators after his escape.

According to Tori Fugate, spokesperson for the KC Pet Project, the main concern, however, was not predators. They were people.

“(The school) is right off 64th Street. There is a grocery store across the street. There is a lot of traffic. We are concerned that the animal could unfortunately be hit by a car,” Fugate said.

To add to the concern, as animal control officers searched for the missing alligator, it was revealed that the school district did not obtain an animal exhibition permit from the KC Pet Project Animal Services Division for the petting zoo, which is required by Chapter 14 of the city code.

Fugate said that could mean a citation for the school district, but that has not been confirmed or denied by the school or city.

The district, however, commented on Alex's rescue, saying, “We are grateful for the support of our community for learning about the missing alligator and even helping to search for him in some cases.” We are happy that the alligator was found safe and sound.

As more information is released about Alex's condition and disappearance, FOX4 will update this story with the latest details.