Herbert Hoover’s Alligator Family
The Great Depression wasn’t the only wild thing during Hoover’s presidency. His son Allan kept two pet alligators named Billy and Reuben that occasionally escaped their bathtub home. The reptiles sometimes sunned themselves near the Rose Garden, causing chaos among unsuspecting visitors and staff. Diplomats once found them lounging on the lawn. The growing gators eventually moved to a zoo when they became too large for White House life.
