Famous Lizard Finds New Home in Port Clinton, Ohio Wildlife Park

From humble origins in Bedford, Ohio, in 1983, the Winking Lizard has grown to a casual eatery chain throughout Ohio, known for its laid-back ambience and lengthy list of craft beers (even when craft beers were far harder to come by in the region).

The sign outside shows its namesake, wearing a bowtie and high collar, but many locations even had real live lizards inside.

That’s changing now.

“Ultimately, it’s a combination of a lot of things,” co-owner Jim Callam told Cleveland.com. “There’s a lot of maintenance that goes with them.”

Many of the lizards went home with workers or patrons, but some found their way to animal shelters. One, named Reggie, will still be able to interact with his adoring public as a new ambassador animal at African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton, Ohio.

“Reggie is a total sweetheart, and he really seems to enjoy the company of people,” park director Kelsey Keller said in a news release. “We are grateful to the Winking Lizard team for entrusting him to our park, where he will help our guests learn about animals and how to protect our environment.”

Reggie is a green iguana, which is native to Central and South America, but have been introduced to Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, where they compete with native species for resources like food and habitat. He’d lived for five years at the Peninsula, Ohio, location of the Winking Lizard, the third of the now 21 locations.

As an ambassador animal, Reggie might not necessarily be on display when visitors come for their walking or driving tour of African Safari. But he’ll be a regular part of educational programming. 

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