Overview
- A visitor-filmed video that surfaced on Tuesday shows Tong, a 26-year-old female saltwater (Leisten) crocodile at Stuttgart’s Wilhelma, regurgitating several plastic objects including baby pacifiers, bottle caps and a keychain.
- The Wilhelma confirmed the footage, identified the animal as Tong and said crocodiles can vomit indigestible items, which suggests the pieces were not digested in this case.
- PETA and eyewitnesses warned the enclosure’s protections appear insufficient and stressed that swallowed foreign objects can still cause stress, internal injury or death for zoo animals.
- In response the zoo announced it will add signs in the crocodile hall and step up visitor education while it evaluates additional physical measures to stop litter from entering the enclosure.
- The incident spotlights the direct risk that visitor-borne plastic poses to captive animals and could prompt Wilhelma and other zoos to adopt tighter barriers or supervision to prevent objects reaching exhibits.