Snapshots of life in the Golden State. : It’s a Long Way From the Tropics for Bay Area Visitor

First, a bird watcher saw it. Then a National Park Service official thought he spied it by the light of his flashlight in the wee hours of the morning. And finally a zookeeper, on a reconnaissance mission, spotted it. Now it can be confirmed.

It’s out there.

But it’s not 10 feet long--as people claimed--and it’s no Loch Ness monster. It is, at most, three feet long. It’s probably cold and if the zoo doesn’t rescue it by winter, its chances for survival are slim.

They’re not even sure what “it” is. But from all indications, the reptile first sighted two weeks ago in Mountain Lake in the Presidio of San Francisco is an alligator or a South American caiman. It’s just a youngster--probably 1 to 3 years old--and a summer in the Bay Area is not this tropical party animal’s idea of a vacation spot.

The animal has captivated San Franciscans but, so far, eluded capture. The dark greenish brown reptile was last seen Monday swimming placidly with a school of ducks. (Though it may nibble on some ducklings, it’s unlikely to tackle anything bigger than itself--unless provoked.)

Not only has it been a likely victim of an irresponsible pet owner who dumped it in the lake, but it has also been a victim of its own fame. The creature is drawing flocks of the curious. “It’s probably not getting its body temperature up; it’s not able to bask in the sun because of all the commotion around it,” said Nancy Chan, director of public relations for the San Francisco Zoo. “It’s hiding. Our intention is to bring it back safely.”

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The Elvis Pilgrimage

Elvis Presley died 19 years ago today, and 750,000 fans each year make a pilgrimage to his mansion in Memphis. Californians were among the top five worldwide in a zip code survey of 30,000 ticket-buying visitors in May.

Visitors to Graceland

California: 7%

Illinois: 7%

Tennessee: 9%

Texas: 9%

All other states: 58%

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Foreign: 10%

England: 32%

Germany: 31%

Other countries: 37%

Source: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Researched by TRACY THOMAS / Los Angeles Times

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One from the “X-Files”: The sheriff’s deputy patrolling the desolate Altamont Pass Road that runs parallel to Interstate 580 outside Livermore felt a burning heat on his left cheek and saw a flash of white light. Then darkness--he was blinded. He pulled over and called for help.

Within 15 minutes his sight had returned and he was given a clean bill of health. What momentarily felled the Alameda County deputy--and earlier that evening struck a trucker’s rig--was probably some kind of small laser. A handful of other motorists reported similar hits on their cars.

But where did it come from? There is no industry in the area. The famed Livermore Lab was not close enough. And an investigation of the handful of people camped in trailers in the area just led to some drug arrests. The only odd thing about the area are the windmills that generate power in the Altamont Pass, one of the windiest places on Earth.

A month later, Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Hoig has no answers--or further incidents. “We’re pretty comfortable as to what caused it--one of these cold lasers that doesn’t generate heat,” said Hoig, who has become a minor expert on lasers. “We think it was someone out there horsing around.” For the time being, this “X-File” is closed.

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Hey, dibs on the moldy Twinkies: Meanwhile, in the Siskiyou County town of Happy Camp, some other animals have been blissfully happy campers. The local landfill has been a prime eating spot this summer for black bears who literally wallow in the garbage.

“They eat anything and everything--basically food that’s turned sour,” George Chambers, the landfill’s owner and operator, said after observing 10 bears grazing for dinner. “They really like deer carcasses.”

Surrounded by mountains, the landfill has bears from noon to night, and Chambers has seen as many as 40 at a time. Townsfolk drive up and dump their trash, and it’s not uncommon for bears to wait expectantly to see if you’re dumping any, uh, deer carcasses.

“They go eyeball to eyeball with you,” said Chambers, who also owns a pizza parlor in town.

But the feast is closing down. Come September, the landfill will change into a trash transfer station with metal bins for garbage.

“We keep hearing bears are pretty crafty animals,” muses Chambers. “Hopefully these bins will be bear-proof.”

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125 in the shade: That was the temperature this week in Death Valley. The hottest spot in the country is well known for attracting European tourists at this time year. But it’s also a perfect time for car companies to do hot weather testing on their cars. “Isuzu, Volkswagen, and Chrysler are in here now,” said Cal Jepson, general manager of the aptly named Furnace Creek Inn and Furnace Creek Ranch.

EXIT LINE

“I walked 3,500 miles across the country and another 1,700 miles this time. Never once has anyone ever suggested they were going to bother me. And I’m an old man. You could do anything to me.”

--Matt Mattingly, a 66-year-old Sonora resident after returning from a two-month solo walk from British Columbia to Crescent City, Calif.

California Dateline appears every other Friday.