LOS ANGELES — Reggie, the most famous alligator in Los Angeles, lives in a beautifully landscaped midcentury dwelling just outside Los Feliz. When it's sunny, he swims in his pool. When it's chilly, he doesn't do much of anything. He lives companionably with a female named Tina, and if you think it's easy for two alligators to pair up later in life without trying to bite each other's limbs off, well, you don't know a lot about alligators.
Between the two fences that separate Reggie's enclosure from the public is a sign with the thumbnail version of his remarkable journey to the Los Angeles Zoo 15 years ago. Some visitors stop to read it; a lot of them don't. But once upon a time — before P-22, before Grumpy Cat and Doug the Pug — people gathered by the hundreds just to catch a glimpse of the celebrity gator.
You could buy T-shirts emblazoned with Reggie's likeness. His name appeared in headlines from Long Beach to London. A decent chunk of L.A.'s budget — $180,000 — went to Reggie-related expenses.
