President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had two grizzly bear cubs, one male and one female, which were given to him by American explorer Capt. What ensued was a wild goat chase down Pennsylvania Avenue, involving the grandchildren and the president himself, clutching his top hat and holding his cane as his constituents pointed and laughed. Needless to say, the bears were good and pissed off upon arrival. This material may not be reproduced without permission. The General, who was making the White House his headquarters that summer, had left his live alligator in the East Room until he could find a suitable home for it, and was also using the room as a storehouse for the gifts that had been bestowed on him. Willow is the first kitty to pounce, play, and nap at the White House since 2009, when former President George W. Bush's black cat, India, ruled the residence. Crocodiles have an image problem in the Philippines. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Photograph by The White House, Sipa USA, Newscom. ), The Biden dogs even starred in campaign ads with the tagline, Lets put a dog back in the White House.. The list of Regnery authors reads like a "who's who" of conservative thought, action, and history. The first family bottle-fed Josiah until he cut his teeth, at which point the badger would zip along White House floors, nipping and biting at the heels of passers-by. "Alligators in the White House Bathtub, Oh My!" He is the longest-running major antagonist in the series. She was a gift from a Wisconsin senator who presumably thought the always hungry president would slaughter the cow and invite him over for steaks on the grill. Modern presidents know better than to have wild animals as pets. First Lady Grace Coolidge holds the family's pet raccoon, Rebecca, at a White House event. Mary Thorn. Publisher Below, Business Insider looks at seven of the strangest. Well aware of the animal's temperament, Jefferson decided to keep the cubs anyway, describing them as "perfectly gentle" with a taste for "Indian bread" and possibly Indians, too. There is no definitive answer to this question, as there is no record of every president who has ever kept an alligator in the White House. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Some were given exotic pets by foreign dignitaries, with President John Quincy Adams keeping an alligator in a bathtub. teaches children about the presidency through pets of the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. The president and first lady accepted a puppy as a gift from one of their friends, Senator Edward Kennedy. We may never know. What's next for bonds in 2023 after the worst year in history, Cant take statins? Australian researchers have found the 95-million-year-old remains of a crocodile that had eaten a dinosaur before it died. As the saying goes, behind every myth is a story about something that happened to inspire it. Even little buckaroos help out on the ranch! Florida Alligator Will Be White House Pet. They were reportedly seen grazing on the White House lawn and provided the home's milk and butter, a daily necessity for Taft's time in office. At this point begins a string of events that would lead Billy to become more influential in the hippo world than Coolidge was among the humans. But in 1903, one little girl--perhaps the most awesome little girl ever born--decided to throw a badger. Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2014, Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016. Caroline and the pony featured in a Life magazine spread on the first family, and singer-songwriter Neil Diamond claimed that the images inspired his hit song "Sweet Caroline.". Suspendisse ultrices hendrerit a vitae vel a sodales. 5. But more than dogs have lived in the White House. In late November 1926, a . They also have a very long lifespan, so owners need to be prepared to care for them for many . But they took a liking to the animal and instead she became a beloved if mischievous family pet. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Crocodiles And Alligators: Large Predators That Pose A Threat To Humans, With A Little Practice You Will Be Able To Play It Flawlessly How To Play Crocodile Rock On Keyboard, Things To Consider When Caring For Hermann Tortoises. : The president's sons Tad and Willie especially loved their goats Nanny and Nanko. Presidential Trivia DRAFT. Above: A hippo, probably fucking something. The flock not only saved the administration the trouble of mowing the lawn, but Wilson sold the wool to raise money for the American Red Cross during World War I. Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that's taking place just outside Washington, D.C. Nicole Lyn Pesce is News Editor, Trending at MarketWatch and is based in New York. In terms of the nominations, Theodore Roosevelt is tied with Franklin D. Roosevelt. There was a problem loading your book clubs. A MediaComms.IO company. mrsfarleyf26. : MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphoto, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA, United States Library of Congress/Public Domain, no hard evidence that he ever actually said this, Joe Biden was named the winner of the 2020 election over Donald Trump, Joe and Jill Biden plan to bring their German shepherds Champ and Major with them to the White House, Why Major Biden becoming the first shelter dog in the White House is a big deal, whose family menagerie in the early 1960s, wasnt the last alligator to saunter into the White House, brought a flock of sheep to graze on the White House lawn, The U.S. housing market is crumbling under the weight of higher mortgage rates and rock-bottom affordability: Prices fell the most in these U.S. states, Am I crazy? After my mother died, my cousin took her designer purse, and my aunt took 8 paintings from her home then things really escalated. They were speaking metaphorically, of course, about Trump's intention to rid the federal government of corruption and waste. He had developed a reputation as being "frisky" and, with zookeepers eager to get their hands on some pygmy hippo baby-batter, he was paired with another hippo, Hannah. Once he borrowed a bunch of snakes from a pet store. They had an English Mastiff along with 7 other dogs, 3 cats, 3 Canaries, a mockingbird, a goat, and several cows. Image Via John Plumbe [Public domain] / Wikimedia Commons. The last thing the White House needs is another dog, damn it. Due to the lack of any concrete evidence that the sixth president of the United States ever had an alligator, although its not impossible, its highly unlikely that the pet alligator story was true. The White House and Its Thirty-Three Families. Benjamin Harrison kept a goat, Rutherford Hayes kept a Siamese cat, and Teddy Roosevelt had a zoo as unusual pets for presidents. Two dogs and two cats were necessary, and among the transitory possessions were two ducks which he trained to sit on the front porch to the infinite entertainment of passers-by. Please try again. If only Harrison had been as wise as Obi Wan (or any Jedi for that matter, 'cause how cool would it be to have a Jedi as the leader of the free world), he would've thought twice about adding the animal to the stable of pets the first family had already amassed. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Along with a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and birds, presidents and their families also had pet snakes, raccoons, bears, cows, mice, and more. Willow, the Bidens' green-eyed tabby, explores the White House. First Lady Louisa Adams also kept silkworms, and she harvested their silk for her personal sewing. AN ALLIGATOR HAS JUST TRIED TO EAT MY NOBLE SCROTUM!". In the end, Chito decided Pocho could stay as a member of his family. He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. If that wasn't enough to convince you we've put some pretty great men in the White House, then check out The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All-Time. The raccoon was later named Rebecca, and the first lady, Grace, would walk her on a bedazzled leash. The grizzly bear, now affectionately known as nature's surprisingly agile killing machine, was discovered by the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark; two men with balls of steel, who were ordered by then president, Thomas Jefferson, to head west to find out just what the hell was out there. Edit. But it turned out "pygmy hippo" was a misleading term (no doubt coined by the crooked hippo pet industry) and Billy eventually grew too big to stay at the White House. Contrary to what most Internet sources claims, the book recorded that General Lafayette was staying in the white house for about two months and had a pet alligator with him that scared most guest. This animal is the largest of the carnivorous kind I ever saw". Then in 2013, the Obamas brought home a second Portuguese water dog, Sunny. In terms of the nominations, Theodore Roosevelt is tied with Franklin D. Roosevelt. me dice amor y no somos nada? Whatever the case, Adams certainly knew just what to do with the reptiles: He put them in the White House bathtub, then invited government officials to his place. Cheryl Barnes is one of those rare people you meet who is doing it all, and in Cheryl's case, with style and grace. It is believed that he stored the alligator in the east room bathtub of the White House. Like most teenage parents, the two eventually figured out what to do with the kids: let someone else deal with them. Please whitelist in order to read our content as well as support our work. San Francisco Chronicle. Just look at this list: 11 horses, six dogs, five guinea pigs, two cats, one pig, one badger, one macaw, one bear, one hen, one rabbit, one lizard, one snake, one . He took his shot and bolted out the White House gates (Apparently at that time, the White House gates were just sort of left open, just in case one of the neighbors wanted to wander on in and borrow something from the Lincoln bedroom). Before animal rights organizations and activists argued for laws against individuals owning exotic pets, plenty of other wild animals also called the White House their home. Owning an alligator is illegal in Illinois. Of the many species on earth today that can trace their ancestry back to prehistoric times, evolution has touched crocodiles perhaps least. Look inside to find your favorite pet. The pony was a present from then Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson, and became a well-known sight on White House grounds, where it roamed freely. The reptile has made the news, too. Or they would have laughed about it if they had later found it funny and hilarious. There's a certain irony to capturing and enslaving an animal from a country that was founded by freed slaves from the United States, but we digress Firestone believed the pygmy hippo would make a wonderful gift for President Coolidge, already a collector of strange and exotic pets. And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, had a raccoon named Rebecca that walked on a leash! Something went wrong. That's not a metaphor. State law prohibits individuals from owning any "dangerous animal" except for those kept at a zoo, research lab, veterinary hospital, animal refuge or federally licensed exhibit. Copyright 2023 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets. Did you know President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? Ali. Harry, the hyena, was king of the wild animals until recently. Main Menu. Many of the 45 presidents of the United States have been animal lovers, with pet choices far beyond the ordinary run of cats and dogs. So revered were certain animals in ancient Egyptian culture that these creatures were routinely mummified as sacrifices to the gods. President Martin van Buren fought Congress to keep two tiger cubs. An article there explains how Presidents Adams and Hoover each supposedly came into possession of the unconventional pets: Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette received many gifts and honors during his tour of the 24 states in 1824 and 1825, but probably none more unusual than an alligator. Did you know John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States, had an #alligator in the White House? Among them were a pair of mongrel dogs named Juno and Satan, and a horse named Cleopatra. President Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850 . Screen grab from viral video. Wide Awake (Vol. The clip shows a crocodile coming near a man sitting on a boat. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Which president has the craziest pet? PRESIDENTIAL POSSUM. Known as the "Crocodile Man", Costa Rican animal lover 'Chito' swims, plays, and . The first is an Associated Press item, dated 9 February 1921, announcing the impending arrival of a new White House pet in the company of President-elect Warren G. Harding: Florida Alligator Will Be White House Pet. Dorre, Howard. Take President John F. Kennedy, whose family menagerie in the early 1960s included Macaroni the pony, multiple horses, hamsters Debbie and Billy, dogs, parakeets, a canary, Zsa Zsa the rabbit and a cat; they all resided with the Kennedys at the White House. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. This time, it was two tiger cubs, given to him by the Sultan of Oman. Instead, Taft let the cow graze--and presumably shit profusely on--the White House lawn. Allie. Photograph by Library of Congress, Corbis, VCG via Getty Images. K - 12th grade . CNN cited a Mental Floss article by Ethan Trex that stated, "The sixth president also had a pet gator. Try again. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets.His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger . David Emery is a Portland-based writer and editor with 25 years of experience fact-checking rumors, hoaxes, and contemporary legends. White House staff reportedly weren't so keen on Rebecca, due to her habit of clambering onto furniture, damaging expensive upholstery with her claws. The top prize is possibly the most bizarre (and potentially dangerous) of all. Father and son lived in the White Houseand so did their dogs. When Roosevelt's son Archie got the measles, his brother Quentin thought a visit from the family pony might cheer him up. He used it to terrify guests for about two months before finally . It's unknown what possessed Lafayette to hand deliver the gators but it can be surmised there was a lost in translation moment somewhere along the way, resulting in a pair of real alligators instead of, say, alligator shoes. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. On the chance that you're considering a gator as a pet, don't do it. Scratch that - Audrey Hepburn had a deer, Dali had an ocelot, and Queen Victoria had Tibetan goats. Finding no sources cited in the article, we decided to look into both stories for ourselves, beginning with the tale of Gen. Lafayette re-gifting an alligator to John Quincy Adams. embroidery classes adelaide; what happened to derrick williams; aimsweb 1st grade reading passages; civil radio frequencies; adult children screening quiz Feature film based on the children's book about a crocodile that lives in New York City. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider June 10, 2022 . At which point, Adams leaned back with a nice, hearty laugh. , Item Weight Deasy Tuwo, who ran a . By providing food and water for birds, he induced scores of them to daily visit us. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets--lots of dogs and cats, of course--but they also had some very strange pets. 0. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both had a ton of animals, some of which were quite bizarre. The president then adopted the alligator as a pet. In all, she gave birth to 15 of his children. "Russell Harrison's Alligator Didn't Influence His Friends' Luck." The college authorities had an argument with the poet, but . He was able to help the Americans win the war and was treated as a hero. Bush kept English springer spaniel Millie and her pup, Ranger; and Ronald Reagan owned several dogs. January 17, 2019 4:07 AM EST. Follow along with Buckaroo Beau as he takes care of the horses and cattle on his family's working ranch. Well, apparently if you are a French general who led troops alongside George Washington and fought in several crucial battles including the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania and the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia, you bring the animal with you to the White House. Bo and Sunny, two lucky dogs, pose for a photo at the White House. Hilarity ensued when members of Congress and others asked to be excused to use the lavatory. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had . A story of cat adoption inspired by the author's true adoption story of her two kittens. Though he concedes that the storycould be true, Dorre feels the paucity of evidence points in the other direction: I doubt that renowned suffragist Harriet Taylor Upton made up the story. But the first presidential kitties belonged to Abraham Lincolnhe even fed them off gold White House forks. Zachary Taylor. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Children's Alligator & Crocodile Books (Books), Children's American Historical Fiction (Books), Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. The book itself takes on the feel of a combination story/activity book that kids will enjoy filling out after reading what's essentially a creatively-written history lesson.