Nebraska Zoo Removes 70 Coins from Alligator’s Stomach, Asks Visitors Not to Toss Money into Water

The Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska is urging its guests to avoid throwing money into the enclosures.

Veterinarians at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium pulled $7 in coins from a white alligator’s stomach after finding metal foreign objects during their routine checkups. Thibodaux, one of 10 American alligators in the zoo’s care, underwent public surgery to remove the coins before they could cause health problems. Guests took photos as veterinarians removed the money from Thibodaux’s stomach at the Desert Dome.

“With the help of his training, Thibodaux was anesthetized and intubated so we could safely manage him during the procedure,” Christina Ploog, associate veterinarian at the Henry Doorly Zoo, explained in a Facebook post on the zoo’s account. “A plastic tube was placed to protect his mouth and safely pass the tools used to access the coins, such as the camera that helped us find these items.”

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While Thibodaux has now been recovered and returned to his habitat, the zoo added in a statement that visitors “should not throw coins into the zoo’s water bodies.” Instead, they suggested cashing in the change for a souvenir or throwing it into a wishing well.

Ploog, who ran Thibodaux’s operation, also told local station KETV that staff assumed the coins were being thrown directly into the gator’s mouth, not scooped up from the ground. “They are so thin, it would be very difficult for them to lift it off the ground,” she said.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium/Facebook

Taylor Yaw, the zoo’s veterinarian and director of animal health, said in a news release that the treatment is an example of the “excellent care” the on-site medical teams provide to the animals.

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Last year, the Henry Doorly Zoo had another incident where a cheetah escaped from its designated area. The zoo immediately activated its emergency protocols, securing exits until Gretchen the cheetah was returned to her habitat. In a statement, they assured that the cat did not pose a threat to visitors because it remained “behind the public barrier”.

Henry Doorly is not the first zoo to urge guests not to waste money on exhibits.

In 2020, the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri posted a video on Facebook in which Dr. Chris Hanley, assistant director of animal health, said one of the zoo’s alligators had what appeared to be a coin in its stomach, according to X-rays .

“On the X-ray, the metal is white, so it’s a foreign body,” he said, showing the images. “It’s probably a coin that was thrown or fell into her exhibit. It’s a risk to our animals when these things are put in their exhibit.”

“Please be careful around our open habitats. Animals can swallow anything that might accidentally come in,” the zoo wrote alongside the video. “If this happens, please find a Zoo employee and notify them or call the Be Kind Line telephone number listed on the nearby sign.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education