OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska zoo is telling guests to not throw coins into animal exhibits.
Veterinarians at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium said an examination of one of its alligators revealed foreign metal objects in its stomach.
Thibodaux, the zoo's 36-year-old leucistic American alligator, underwent a veterinary procedure to remove the metal objects before they caused any problems.
The zoo said the procedure identified 70 U.S. coins.
Zoo officials said all of the coins were successfully removed, which was confirmed with a follow-up X-ray image, and Thibodaux was able to recover and return to his habitat.
"With the help of his training, Thibodaux was anesthetized and intubated to allow us to safely manage him during the procedure," zoo veterinarian Christina Ploog said. "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."
"Guests should not throw coins into any bodies of water at the zoo," officials wrote on Facebook. "Any loose change can instead be turned in for a souvenir coin in one of the several machines around the zoo or in our coin wishing well located in the atrium of the Desert Dome."
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