L.A. nabs one fugitive gator, one still on the lam

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Little Reggie," the smaller of two alligators at large in Los Angeles, was behind bars on Friday after firefighters ended a tense standoff by hauling the thrashing reptile from a drainage canal.

A much larger alligator, dubbed "Reggie," has eluded an exhaustive, month-long hunt and was believed to be holed up in a grimy city lake not far from where Little Reggie was taken into custody.

"It was simply a matter of timing, training, teamwork and tenacity that allowed us to bring Little Reggie into the adoptive care of animal services," Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphreys said. "There were no injuries."

Humphreys said more than a dozen firefighters and an Urban Search and Rescue team on Thursday night converged on the channel where Little Reggie had been spotted, using an aerial ladder truck and several nets to box him in.

"The alligator became somewhat tired and less combative and we were able to ensnare the alligator and wrapped its muzzle in some duct tape," he said.

Little Reggie was booked by Animal Services officers and transported to a local holding facility to await his ultimate transfer to a zoo.

"They took him straight up into the air. He was thrashing and you could see his mouth chomping," said 19-year-old Haley Reagan, whose father discovered the reptile. "All the kids were lined up on the fence and everyone was clapping."

Reggie has been at large for more than a month and presumed still lurking below the murky surface of Lake Machado.

In August, police arrested two men for releasing Reggie into the lake, saying he was purchased as a pet and then set free when he grew too large, possibly as long as 10 feet (3 metres).

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Thrashing and mouth chomping... I wonder why. How would you feel? At least they got him out of the lake.