Katrina relocates rare gator

Albino Gator From New Orleans May Have Lost His Home - Rare Animal
May Wind Up Staying At Jersey Shore Aquarium
Published In The Asbury Park Press 09/2/05, AP


Point Pleasant Beach — A rare white alligator from New Orleans who's
been summering in a Jersey Shore aquarium will be staying put as his
handlers try to figure out what to do with him.

Thibodaux, who was to be returned next month to an aquarium in the
now-ravaged city, is one of only 10 white alligators in the world.

First loaned to Jenkinson's Aquarium in 2003, the animal was back again
this summer, and was to return to the Audubon Nature Institute of New
Orleans the first week in October. But that facility was likely damaged
by Hurricane Katrina, said Linelle Smith, Thibodaux's keeper and the
senior aquarist at Jenkinson's.

She has been trying without success to reach a friend who works at the
New Orleans aquarium, to see if he is all right and how the aquarium
and its animals fared.
"Because it's surrounded by water, there had to have been flood
damage," she said.
Smith has been monitoring an Internet site set up by aquariums and zoos
around the country where information is circulated about how Gulf Coast
aquariums fared. A message posted about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday said
Thibodaux's home had not yet suffered any deaths of animals, but virtually
the entire staff had to leave because of a mandatory evacuation order.
Only its CEO stayed behind with the animals, according to the posting.
"Nobody really knows what's going on," Smith said.

As for Thibodaux, he can stay in Point Pleasant Beach as long as he
needs to, she said.
Thibodaux is a leucistic alligator, born with an extremely rare color
mutation that deprives the animal of normal pigmentation.

He's not an albino; such animals lack all pigment and have pink eyes
and a yellowish body tint. Thibodaux, pronounced "TIB'-uh-doh" after a
town near where he was found in Louisiana, is bright white and has bright
blue eyes.

He is worth well in excess of $1 million.

Complicating his situation in New Jersey is the fact three other,
normally tinted alligators, who have been on loan to the Cape May County Zoo
this summer, and will be coming home.
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Rusty

Geez....I just asked the question about the zoo....I forgot all about the aquarium :( I hope the majority of the fish, reptiles, and birds are ok. The aquarium in New Orleans is one of my favorite places in this world.....so so sad:(