As an experiment in non-chemical pest control, geckos had been released in several of the animal buildings where cockroaches were a problem. One winter day in the primate house, one of the geckos was sitting on a wall near the public area. One visitor, naturally, had to poke the peacefully resting lizard, which turned and bit down on one of his gloved fingers. The gecko was too small to cause any damage to the visitor’s finger, but it clamped securely onto the glove and refused to let go.
When the tenacious reptile showed no intention of letting go after a few minutes the man summoned help. Keepers weren’t able to get the gecko off either, and they were reluctant to use force for fear of breaking its jaws. Finally, they persuaded the man to leave the glove with them and pick it up later.
Several hours later, however, the gecko was as firmly attached as ever. The keepers ended up taking the stubborn lizard to the animal hospital where it was sedated enough to relax its jaws. No one can recall if the visitor ever returned to claim his glove.