How many alligators lived in the White House?

Long before our nation had animal rights organizations and activists, some exotic animals took up residence at the White House. The largest — and toothiest — of these are the alligators of not one, but two, presidents.

Was there an alligator in the White House?

Did you know President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet.

Who kept alligators in the White House?

According to legend, John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the White House for several months. The uncommon pet, a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette, took up residence in the unfinished East Room bathroom.

What two presidents had alligators in the White House?

President John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) kept an alligator in a bathtub. The Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette was given a live alligator while touring the 24 United States in 1824 and 1825, so he regifted the gator to President Adams, who put the reptile in a tub in the then-unfinished East Wing.

Which president had the weirdest pet?

Top prize for the oddest (and perhaps most dangerous) First Pet went to John Quincy Adams, who is said to have kept an alligator in the East Room. So much for the calming embrace of animal affection after a tough presidential day.

Not 1, But 2 Presidents Kept Alligators at the White House

Which president had a pet elephant?

President Dwight Eisenhower greets Dzimbo, a 440-pound baby elephant, 1959. President Dwight Eisenhower greets Dzimbo, a 440-pound baby elephant, a gift from the French territories in west-central Africa in 1959. Dzimbo made his permanent home at the National Zoo.

What president had a pet hippo?

Billy, or William Johnson Hippopotamus, (Before 1927 – October 11, 1955) was a pygmy hippopotamus given to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Captured in Liberia, he was given to Coolidge by Harvey Samuel Firestone in 1927.

Which president had a pet tiger?

Tiger (Tige) – Blacky and I were the first of the Coolidge cats to live in the White House. President Coolidge liked to wear me around his neck. I loved to explore, and the first time that I escaped, I went all the way to the Lincoln memorial!

Which president had a snake?

President Theodore Roosevelt was noted for his love of animals, and he passed this gift on to his children, all of whom had several pets during their own lifetimes. Some of those pets were a bit non-traditional and even caused a stir on occasion.

Which president had a pet lion?

President Theodore Roosevelt and family were prolific pet owners and animal lovers.

Which president had the most pets?

President Theodore Roosevelt had the most pets owned as a president at 48. He owned a few strange pets, including a black bear, a badger, a hyena, and even a three-legged rooster. That list of "pets" is just the tip of the iceberg!

Which president had a zebra?

President Theodore Roosevelt and his family were great animal lovers and as such, during their time in the White House they were often gifted with unusual animals by foreign dignitaries. One such animal was an unnamed zebra.

What president had a pet squirrel?

Pete: Truman's White House Squirrel.

What was the craziest animal in the White House?

Which president had a pet?

PRESIDENTIAL POSSUM

Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, had an opossum. And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, had a raccoon named Rebecca that walked on a leash! Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets. His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, guinea pigs, and more.

What was the craziest pet in the White House?

Which president had a pet rhino?

Roosevelt also knew that of the two, the white rhino was closest in appearance to the prehistoric rhinos that once roamed across the continent of Europe, and the idea of connecting himself to a hunting legacy that spanned millennia thrilled him.

Which president fought a bear?

In November 1902, Collier guided President Roosevelt on a hunting trip in Mississippi. As the story goes, when Collier cornered and stunned a Louisiana black bear for the president's benefit, Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear.

What president had a pig?

Theodore Roosevelt and family were not above calling barnyard animals their pets. They kept animals such as horses and chickens as close in their hearts as they did the family dogs and cats. One such Roosevelt pet was a white pig named Maude.

Which president had a pet grizzly bear?

Thomas Jefferson received a pair of grizzly bears as a gift from Captain Zebulon Pike in 1807.

Which president never had a pet?

Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office, or pets have been part of their families. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office.

Which president had a pet cow?

Presidential Pets (1860-1921) President William Howard Taft's cow, Pauline, poses in front of the Navy Building, which is known today as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Pauline was the last cow to live at the White House and provided milk for President Taft (1909-13).

What president had two cats?

Among Calvin Coolidge's large menagerie were two mischievous cats, Blacky and Tiger. Tiger was the president's favorite; Coolidge sometimes would walk the halls with the cat draped around his neck.

What president had a pet donkey?

A Zamorano-Leonés donkey, the same breed as Royal Gift. Royal Gift was the name George Washington chose for the Spanish jack that King Charles III of Spain gave to him in November 1784. The prized animal arrived at Mount Vernon one year later.

Which president had a pet goat?

Presidential Pets (1860-1921) President Benjamin Harrison (1889-93) gave his grandchildren a pet goat named His Whiskers. One day, while pulling the president's grandchildren around in a cart, His Whiskers took off through the White House gates.