… City, a haven for birds and native plants. But in the summer of 2005, the lake was a polluted watering hole, encircled with overgrown vegetation and teeming with frogs, birds and carp. , the zoo's reptile curator: canny, omnivorous, adept at … water for a sunbath, and a city lost its mind. CHAOS ENSUES Park employees quickly built a fence around the lake. After that, no one really seemed sure what to do. Curious crowds gathered at the park. The longer Reggie remained on the loose, the … the renegade reptile . Reggie was loaded into an animal control truck for the 30-mile trip to the zoo. TV stations carried live footage of the journey. THE GATOR IN CAPTIVITY Once at the zoo, Reggie was treated for parasites and placed into …