Alligator escapes from petting zoo at Missouri middle school

May 24 (UPI) -- Authorities in Missouri are searching for a small alligator that escaped from a petting zoo exhibit set up at a Kansas City middle school.

The KC Pet Project said the 14-inch alligator was last seen about 11 a.m. Thursday at Lakeview Middle School, where a third-party company had been hired to set up a petting zoo to celebrate the end of the school year.

Officers "searched the school and surrounding grounds for the animal at the site of the school for several hours, but were unable to locate the animal," KC Pet Project said in a Facebook post.

Officials said they are concerned for the safety of the alligator, as it was last seen with its mouth taped shut.

"It can fit in your hand," Tori Fugate, chief communications officer for the KC Pet Project's Animal Services Department, told the Kansas City Star. "Its mouth is taped shut. So our biggest concern is that it cannot fend for itself."

Officials said the school did not obtain the proper animal show permit before arranging for the petting zoo.

"KC Pet Project's Animal Services Division is committed to public safety, which is why permits are required for these types of events," Fugate told KMBC-TV. "Any type of event that showcases animals in Kansas City, MO, must have the proper permits to ensure that the event is safe for all participants as well as the animals."