When you visit a zoo, you can often see people throwing food to caged animals for fun and cherishing the moment while eating. However, a strange incident was reported at the Henry Dooley Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska.
Zoo officials noticed symptoms in Thibodaux, a 36-year-old alligator. An unusual object was extracted from the crocodile's stomach following a routine inspection by authorities last week.
They found 70 coins swallowed by a crocodile. Zoo officials heaved a sigh of relief and said the coin was successfully removed and no harm was done to the animals.
Veterinarian Dr Christina Ploog said a visitor may have thrown the coin into the crocodile habitat, which she said was a dangerous practice.
“With the help of training, we were able to safely manage Thibodeau through anesthesia and intubation during surgery,” said Christina Ploog, a veterinarian at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, who performed the surgery.
“Plastic pipes were placed to protect the mouth and allow safe passage of tools used to access the coins (e.g. cameras to help guide the recovery of these objects),” Ploog said in an Instagram post.
Removal was also confirmed through X-ray examination.
Thibodaux is currently healthy and in his habitat.
“Procedures like the one done at Thibodaux are not always common, but this is a great demonstration of the work our animal care and animal health teams do every day to provide exceptional care to animals across our campus,” said Taylor Yaw Zoo veterinarian and director. “Yes,” he said. In a statement on Instagram, it was about animal health.
The zoo advises visitors that “you should not throw coins into any body of water at the zoo. Change can instead be placed as a souvenir coin in one of several machines around the zoo or in our pennies, well located in the zoo's atrium in the Desert Dome.”