LANCASTER, California: A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy could hardly believe the call when he heard two women were spotted near a Lancaster intersection, one of them holding an alligator. Deputy Michael Rust investigated the report Tuesday and found the offending reptile, along with a kan- garoo and a monkey inside a van.

The menagerie is part of the “Zoo to You” program in Paso Robles that introduces kids to ani- mals. The animals had just visited with students at Quartz Hill Elementary when the alligator soiled its cage. Rust says the driver decided to pull over because the alligator urine odor would be unpleasant during the hours-long drive to Paso Robles. Rust says he’s gotten calls about animals like bulls, bears and mountain lions before, but an alligator is unusual.