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Alligator Escapes for One Month in Indiana

Incident Date:
07/21/2026
Location:
Auburn, IN - USA
Facility Name:
Mark's Ark
Facility Type:
Non-accredited Facility (RSZ)
Incident Category:
Escape of animal (EA)
Species:
Reptiles
Animal:
Alligator
Animal disposition:
Recaptured

Summary:

AUBURN, IN – A 20-year-old alligator that disappeared in Indiana after slipping out of a cooler has been safely reunited with his owner after spending a month on the loose.

Mark Kolhorst runs Mark’s Ark, a business in Auburn, Indiana, that brings animal presentations to schools and other venues. On June 5, after a wildlife show in DeKalb County, he was unloading his vehicle when Irwin, his captive alligator, got loose.

Kolhorst said someone saw Irwin in a neighbor’s pond two days before the search ended, but he was unable to catch him then. Staff with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources later captured the reptile on July 5 and brought him back home.

During the roughly monthlong disappearance, Kolhorst said he was especially worried about Irwin’s safety after learning that a neighbor had reportedly threatened to shoot him.

Action take by Born Free USA:

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