Leapin' Lizard Goes AWOL From Owner: My 15 Minutes of Fame
As we wind down 2009, I thought I would share with you my embarrassing 15 minutes of fame. For a whole week in June of 2009, I was the a news story in Chicago. I had shock jocks call me, made the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times along on the day peace came to Yugoslavia, multiple television stations featured my story, and thankfully I was on a Northwest flight to Detroit when all of this started to unfold to avoid all the hype. Talk about a slow news week!
Leapin' lizard goes AWOL from owner
Article from:
Chicago Sun-Times
Article date:
June 10, 1999
Author: Robert C. Herguth
Talk about leapin' lizards.
A large iguana pulled from a tree Tuesday by Mount Prospect police was reunited Wednesday with one of her masters, who said Chi Chi escaped two or three days earlier by apparently jumping from their second-floor deck.
"She's very explorative," said Clayton Bowler, the lizard's 28- year-old owner, who lives in the Forest Cove apartment complex and was out of town Wednesday on business when the iguana was retrieved. "This time it looks like she got herself in a little more trouble than usual - she wound up in the slammer." That was just for safekeeping. Keeping an iguana is not against the law in Mount Prospect. Mount Prospect crime prevention officer Bill Roscop said the police department couldn't find a shelter to take in the reptile Tuesday night, so he took Chi Chi to the Streamwoodhome of his nephew, who he said is good with animals. "Since the lizard hadn't committed any crimes that we're aware of, we didn't want him to go through the trauma of staying in jail overnight," he quipped. Bowler said he had put a leash on Chi Chi and let her hang out on the deck so she could get some sun. When he returned later, the iguana was missing and the leash was hanging over the ledge. Chi Chi was found Tuesday afternoon in a tree outside an adjacent apartment complex, but police initially didn't know who owned her. "Every day I was in the bushes looking for her," said Bowler's roommate, Sheri Skidmore, 23. It was Skidmore's mother who, after hearing about the reptile capture on a Wednesday morning radio show, called Skidmore, who then contacted police to claim the beast. Bowler had just left on a business trip, soSkidmore took pictures to the police station to prove ownership. The iguana was physically fine but in poor spirits, Skidmore said. PattieTouhey, a manager at Forest Cove, said she heard about the great escape, but "we didn't hear from any of the residents. I don't think there was much of a commotion." Tammy Yovino, 26, who lives next door to Bowler and Skidmore, has taken a real liking to Chi Chi, although she was a little afraid of her at first. "I'm just glad she's back at home," Yovinosaid. "We were all worried about her." Chi Chi, about 6 years old, 3 to 4 feet long, and 25 to 30 pounds, also escaped off the balcony about two weeks ago when she wasn't on a leash, said Bowler, who has owned the lizard for only about a month. She was quickly discovered then, and he thought the leash would do the trick. But now he admits he has to change his game plan. "Maybe we'll just have to take her on walks from now on," he said. (end of article)
When I came home from Chicago, my answering machine was full, not to mention I spent practically a whole day and evening on the phone with Mr. Herguth of the Chicago Sun-Times. My 15 minutes of fame was robbed from me by a nasty and mean iguana I would eventually give away within six months, which is a whole another story.
I had posted an ad for ChiChi on the internet, and eventually a strange woman from Bloomington-Normal, IL answered the ad approximately 10 years ago today. The reason I remember this is it was a cold, blizzard like Chicago day, and it took her nearly six hours to make the drive toNaperville just a 100 miles away.
She was originally going to drive to Mt. Prospect, but because of the weather, she asked me if I could meet her closer. I agreed and drove to Performance Bicycle in Naperville. She ran late but eventually showed up.
She was happy to receive ChiChi telling me she had four other iguanas her size that she loved. In fact, she loved them so much she took baths with them. Too much info!
For the next six months I got practically daily updates about ChiChi. Eventually they stopped coming, which was a good thing except that I later found out the lady's house burnt down. She didn't want me to worry. ChiChi along with the other four were saved by the local fire department and were at a pet store until her house was rebuilt. That's the last I ever heard about my biggest pet mistake, ChiChi.
Mr. Herguth would call me again after I gave her away wanting to know how things were going for a follow up. I told him I was surprised to hear from him. He told me people love pet stories with a happy ending. I am now known as iguana man in certain circles.
