Story Archive

Call Whine One One!

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. received an emergency call from a Houston-area homeowner: an alligator was perched above their door. They dispatched a private contractor — Christy Kroboth of “Gator Squad” — to investigate. Perhaps they should have questioned the “above the door” part: Kroboth found the “alligator” was simply a lizard. Neighbors told her that the week before, the homeowners had “freaked out” over a garden snake. She says this isn’t the first false alarm she has handled. “Last year I had a call for an alligator trapped on a back porch,” she said. “The caller said the alligator had a long tail and sharp teeth,” which may sound reasonably valid. “It turned out to be an opossum.” (RC/Houston Chronicle) ...Everything is bigger in Texas, including panics.