'Very docile' alligator missing from Wisconsin zoo

May 24 (UPI) -- A private zoo in Wisconsin said an alligator might be on the loose in the area after apparently escaping from his enclosure.

Doc's Zoo at Doc's Harley Davidson in Bonduel, Shawano County, said an alligator named Rex was discovered to be missing from his enclosure on Saturday.

Steve "Doc" Hopkins, the owner of the zoo, said Rex has been at the facility for 35 years and is "typically very docile" and unlikely to pose a danger to the public.

"He doesn't go hunt for his food. He's never had to do that, I don't even think he knows how," Hopkins told WLUK-TV.

The zoo said in a Facebook post that Rex "has severe arthritis in his jaws making it very difficult to open his mouth more than an inch."

Rex is one of four alligators that live at the zoo. Hopkins said the animals at the zoo are typically exotic pets that were surrendered by owners who could no longer care for them.