Today’s story, from UPI: Escaped alligator captured after a month on the loose in Indiana (by Ben Hooper, UPI, July 10, 2026).
🟢 Beginner
Reading
Mark Kolhorst has a pet alligator. Its name is Irwin. Irwin is 20 years old.
Mark runs animal shows. He takes his animals to schools. One day, Mark was taking his animals out of his van. Irwin escaped! Nobody could find him.
Irwin was loose for one month. People near Mark’s home were worried. Then, someone saw Irwin in a pond.
Wildlife workers came to help. They caught Irwin. They brought him home to Mark.
Mark was very happy. He said Irwin is friendly. Irwin likes people. Irwin eats small mice. Now Irwin is home and safe.
Vocabulary
- pet — an animal that lives with a person
- escape — to get away or run away
- loose — free, not in a cage or held
- worried — feeling afraid that something bad will happen
- pond — a small area of water, smaller than a lake
- catch — to get hold of something that is moving or running away
- safe — not in danger
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- Do you like animals? What is your favorite animal?
- Would you want a pet alligator? Why or why not?
- Have you ever lost something? How did you feel?
🟡 Intermediate
Reading
An alligator that had been missing for an entire month in Indiana has finally been found and returned safely to its owner.
The 20-year-old alligator, named Irwin, escaped while his owner, Mark Kolhorst, was unloading his van after an animal show. Kolhorst runs a business called Mark’s Ark, which brings educational animal shows to schools and other events.
Neighbors became concerned during the month that Irwin was missing, since an alligator loose in the neighborhood made some people nervous. Kolhorst tried several times to catch Irwin using a net after the alligator was spotted in a neighbor’s pond, but he wasn’t able to catch him on his own.
Eventually, officers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources located Irwin and brought him back home. Kolhorst said he was relieved and added that Irwin is used to being around people and isn’t a danger to anyone. Irwin’s diet mainly consists of small mice, and he’s now settling back into his normal routine at home.
Vocabulary
- missing — unable to be found; lost
- owner — a person who has or owns something
- unload — to take things out of a vehicle
- concerned — worried about something
- spot (verb) — to see or notice something
- locate — to find the exact position of something
- relieved — feeling less worried after a problem is solved
- routine — the usual way or order of doing things
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- Why do you think some neighbors were nervous about an alligator being loose, even though the owner said Irwin wasn’t dangerous?
- What responsibilities come with owning an unusual pet like an alligator?
- Do you think it’s a good idea to use animals like alligators for educational shows? Why or why not?
🔴 Advanced
Reading
An alligator that spent a full month on the loose in rural Indiana has been safely recovered and reunited with its owner, closing out a saga that had unsettled at least a few of his neighbors.
Irwin, a 20-year-old alligator, slipped away in early June while his owner, Mark Kolhorst, was unloading his van after wrapping up one of the educational animal shows he runs through his business, Mark’s Ark, which brings exotic animals to schools and community events.
For weeks, Irwin’s whereabouts were unknown, and some residents in the area grew increasingly uneasy at the thought of an alligator wandering the neighborhood unsupervised. Kolhorst got a lead when Irwin was spotted in a neighbor’s pond, and he made several attempts to net the animal himself, but the reptile evaded capture. It ultimately took officers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to track Irwin down and deliver him home.
Kolhorst, who has built a career around introducing the public to animals many people rarely encounter up close, was quick to defend Irwin’s temperament once the alligator was back in his care. He noted that Irwin is accustomed to human contact, poses no real threat to the public, and eats little more than small mice. For Kolhorst, the episode is a reminder of both the appeal and the unpredictability that come with keeping animals more commonly associated with swamps than suburban Indiana.
Vocabulary
- rural — relating to the countryside, not a city
- reunite — to bring back together after being separated
- saga — a long, complicated story or series of events
- unsettled — made to feel uneasy or anxious
- whereabouts — the location of a person or thing
- evade — to escape or avoid, especially skillfully
- temperament — a person’s or animal’s general nature or disposition
- unpredictable — impossible to know in advance how something will behave
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- The article mentions the “appeal and unpredictability” of keeping animals like Irwin. Do you think the educational value of these animal shows outweighs the risks to a community? Why or why not?
- How much responsibility should an owner bear when an exotic or potentially dangerous pet escapes, even if no one is harmed?
- Consider the neighbors’ perspective versus the owner’s perspective in this story. How does word choice in a news article shape whose side the reader sympathizes with?
📣 Share This Lesson
After a month on the run, Irwin the alligator is finally back home safe. 🐊 Read today’s story and test your English. #ESL #EnglishLearning #immersionesl
Source: “Escaped alligator captured after a month on the loose in Indiana” by Ben Hooper, UPI (July 10, 2026).