Escaped alligator captured after a month loose in Indiana

An escaped alligator captured after roughly a month on the loose in DeKalb County, Indiana, is back home with its owner. Indiana Department of Natural Resources personnel recovered the 20-year-old reptile named Irwin and returned him to Mark Kolhorst of Mark's Ark on Sunday, ending a search that began when the gator slipped from a cooler on June 5.

Key Takeaways

• Irwin, a 20-year-old alligator, escaped from a cooler on June 5 while Kolhorst unloaded his van after a wildlife show in DeKalb County.
• Indiana DNR officers captured Irwin and returned him to Kolhorst on Sunday after the gator was spotted in a neighbor's pond.
• Neighbors raised safety concerns during the month-long search, though Kolhorst said Irwin was accustomed to humans and ate small mice.
• Kolhorst acknowledged past animal escapes from his Auburn property, including a pony, tortoise, pig, and emu.

How Did an Alligator End Up on the Loose in Indiana?

Irwin vanished on June 5 when Mark Kolhorst was unloading his van in DeKalb County after a wildlife show. The 20-year-old gator had been riding in a cooler and slipped out during the transfer, according to UPI.

Kolhorst runs Mark's Ark, an Auburn-based business that puts on educational animal shows at schools and other venues across Indiana. He had just returned from a performance when he discovered the cooler was empty.

Who Captured Irwin and How Was He Found?

Indiana Department of Natural Resources personnel captured Irwin and brought him home on Sunday, UPI reported. Kolhorst said the alligator had been spotted in a neighbor's pond just two days earlier, but his own efforts to reel the reptile in failed.

"I made several attempts with a casting net to catch Irwin. But unfortunately I ultimately did not succeed," Kolhorst wrote on social media. State wildlife authorities stepped in to complete the recovery and safely return the animal to its owner.

Why Did Neighbors Worry During the Month-Long Search?

Residents raised safety concerns while Irwin remained at large for roughly four weeks. Kolhorst said he feared for the animal's welfare because a neighbor had threatened to shoot the gator during the search.

Resident Susan McKown told UPI she believes an alligator found in her pond in 2017 had also escaped from Kohlhorst's property. Local authorities said another alligator turned up in the area in 2012. Kohlhorst denied either reptile belonged to him.

Kohlhorst maintained Irwin posed no public threat because the gator was accustomed to human interaction and ate a diet of small mice. Still, the case drew scrutiny in a region unaccustomed to loose reptiles — a storyline that fits squarely among other bizarre animal headlines making the rounds.

Has This Happened Before at Mark's Ark?

Kohlhorst admitted that animals have escaped from his property in the past, including a pony, a tortoise, a pig, and an emu. The pony and pig were safely returned, but Kohlhorst said he shot the emu because it posed a danger to traffic.

Despite the history, Kolhorst said Irwin is now doing well and settling back in at home after Indiana wildlife authorities ended the month-long search.