DECATUR — Everyone needs a comfortable home, even alligators.
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"G," a 39-year-old alligator from Scovill Zoo, recently had an opportunity to take a field trip to Splash Cove and swim in its lazy river. Video courtesy of Vieweg Real Estate and the Decatur Park District.
GALLERY: Scovill Zoo through the years
Zoo pens
1966: These concrete pens built into the hillside at Scovill Park are part of the children's zoo being constructed there. The area in the foreground has been blacktopped, and framework for buildings is going up in other areas of the zoo.
Baby burro
1967: This baby burro was born Tuesday at the Scovill Farm. Ross Miller, Park District construction foreman, gives it some water from a bottle. The burro was discovered with its mother Tuesday morning by Ray Siegley, zoo keeper. The burro can be seen by the public Monday when the zoo officially opens.
Cuddling goats
1969: Patti Robinson, 3, cuddles miniature goat at Scovill Farm; Ray Sigley watches.
Charlie Brown
1971: Charlie Brown and her pony-mule son.
Self Start
1971: Children enrolled in Self Start visited Scovill Park Farm Zoo today. Conrad Lee, son of Mrs. Jeneve Lee of 521 E. King St.,l was one of the children who saw the pigs, peacocks and other animals in the zoo. Self Start, an education program supported by United Way, is for three and four - year old children.
Posing goat
1971: This goat, peeking out of a fence at Scovill Farm appears to be posing
Fancy feathers
1973: A peacock at Scovill Farm Zoo showed off his fancy feathers for the camera recently.
Peacock
1973: Strutting his stuff is this peacock, a resident of the Decatur Park District's Scovill Farm zoo.
Malayan sun bear
1974: Looking out of his relatively new cage at Scovill Farm Zoo, is a Malayan sun bear who took residency at the zoo last week. He replaces a larger sun bear who died shortly after arrival a week earlier. McDonald's restaurants is running a promotion to pay for two sun bears for the zoo.
New surroundings
1974: Scovill Farm's two new Malayan sun bears in their new surroundings.
Elusive prey
1975: Three year-old Christopher Drozs found a Scovill Farm zoo peacock elusive prey during a recent visit to the park district facility. But, Christopher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mel Drozs of 3705 E. Fulton Ave., abandoned the chase and soon had some goats the zoo eating out of his hand.
Greeting the goats
1977: The goats at the Scovill Farm Zoo got a greeting Saturday from Mrs. George Pinney of 975 S. 18th St. and granddaughter Amy Harmer, 2. It was the first day the zoo was open this season featuring new Barbado sheep, four-horned sheep and a dwarf cow besides the goats.
Scovill Farm Zoo goats
1978: The Scovill Farm Zoo opened this weekend, and one of the first to greet the goats was young Everett Shingleton of Decatur.
Angora kid
1979: Mike Borders, Scovill Farm Zoo caretaker, holds angora kid borrowed from Iowa
Sharing popcorn
1981: Tiffany Smith, 9, of 1003 Moffett Lane shares a bag of popcorn with a goat at the Scovill Park Children's Zoo.
Boa constrictor
1984: Mike Borders gets the opportunity to exercise a boa constrictor at the Scovill Children's Zoo
Toucan
1984: The toucan poses for a portrait at the Scovill Children's Zoo
Burro and Shetland pony
1984: A burro and Shetland pony share on outdoor pen at the Scovill Children's Zoo.
Scottish Highlands cow
1984: The Scottish Highlands cow comes dressed for the winter weather at the Scovill Children's Zoo.
Baby llamas
1984: Drinking from a bottle is not uncommon for many three-month-old babies - llamas included. Marke Bobbitt provides some liquid nourishment for a new resident at the Scovill Children's Zoo.
Spider monkey
1984: The high strung spider monkey is confined to his pen during the winter at the Scovill Children's Zoo.
Roberta the bobcat
1985: Roberta the bobcat came to Scovill form New York
Raccoons
1985: These two raccoons share a hollow log at the zoo.
Attention-getter
1985: The brightly colored toucan is an attention-getter at the zoo.
Donnette Beckett
Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR
Donnette Beckett
"Together Decatur" Columnist and Food/Drink Reporter
