Omaha zoo staff finds 70 coins inside alligator’s stomach

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo had some distressing news to share Friday night.

Officials say a 36-year-old alligator named Thibodaux needed a procedure to remove 70 coins from his stomach. Veterinarians identified the issue during routine health checks on the gators and sent Thibodaux into surgery Wednesday.

“With the help of his training, Thibodaux was anesthetized and intubated to allow us to safely manage him during the procedure,” associate veterinarian Christina Ploog, who led the procedure, said in a press release. “A plastic pipe was placed to protect his mouth and safely pass the tools used to access the coins, such as a camera that helped us guide the retrieval of these objects.”

The zoo says every coin was successfully removed from Thibodaux’s stomach, and that he’s returned to his habitat after recovering well from the operation.

Zoo officials stressed the importance of guests refraining from throwing any coins or objects into the water.