After his removal from Mountain Lake, Golden Gator was temporarily housed at the San Francisco Zoo in a heated pond, converted from a monkey cage in the primate center, where he was measured and sexed. In December 1996, Golden Gator was flown to New Orleans, where he was released into the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center managed by the Audubon Nature Institute. The alligator's departure from the Zoo was marked by cake and a greeting card.
