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50 The Authority | AUGUST 2023 The next day, Chuck and other employ- ees wondered how the animal was doing, so he called the Wildlife Center to check in. It was then that they informed him it was an American baby Alligator. Chuck also learned it would eventually be moving to Allenwood, PA, to its new home at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, a zoo with other alligators. On May 3, the baby alligator was driven and delivered to Reptiland. According to Katherine Allen, the Zo- ological Manager at Reptiland, it was treated with antibiotics due to eye infections and remains in quarantine until cleared of all signs of infection. The staff named the baby Thanos after the Disney Avengers character. The current living environment for Thanos is behind the scenes with a small amount of water, ultraviolet light, and a heat lamp. It eats small rodents, which provide bones and calcium for its diet, along with tila- pia and silversides fish. Croc chow, a pellet-type food made especially for crocodilians, will be added to the diet as it grows. In the future, Thanos will have more water but for now feces Continued from page 20. need to be collected on “dry land” for evaluation and signs of infection. Thanos has been busy healing and eating, growing from 119 to 140 grams (about half the weight of a can of soup), and “likes to eat” according to Katherine. The gender is unknown because it requires an internal exam and is done only when the animal is healthy. Male alligators can grow to 11-13 feet and weigh up to 600 pounds, and females 8-9 feet and 200-300 pounds. Eventually Thanos will be introduced to places where the pub- lic can visit, along with three other adult alligators at Reptiland – Rocky, Adrienne, and Sirphas. When asked about the rescue Chuck and Craig reported they knew the “little guy” was a fighter because it made it through whatever journey it had been on, winding up at the plant. “It was only because of that fateful decision to turn on the second climb- er that I found it,” said Chuck. “If we had not made that decision, I would not have gone into the climber area for hours and the animal would have surely perished.” Gary commented, “I’m proud of the way Chuck and Craig responded to save the life of this creature, not even realizing what it was. It was a morale boost to the team, and everyone is still talking about it. We know it will not be the last of the wildlife at the plant as we have some regular visitors, includ- ing ducks, geese, red foxes, hawks, bald eagles, groundhogs, and even a piebald deer. Our employees care about the environment, and I know our team will do the same the next time we find an animal in trouble.” Employees were thrilled to see the recent photos of a healthier Thanos provided by Katherine and Reptiland. Thanos looks quite happy in his new, clean environment, and we wish for a long and healthy life at Reptiland! Photos and the story of the baby alligator’s incredible survival quickly spread across the plant. Local and national news outlets picked up the story after LCA shared it on their social media channels. Thanos made local, state, and national print, television, and online news and will be the sub- ject of a local podcast in the future. Thanos at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland. Jason Stefano holds a fawn.