Gatorland rescues injured alligator, names him after his wounds
By Michelle Meredith, Madilyn Destefano
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ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — An alligator with a bungee cord embedded in its jaw is recovering at Gatorland after what rescuers believe was an illegal and failed capture attempt.
The gator, now named Bungee, earned his name in a painful way. Rescuers said it appeared someone had wrapped a bungee cord around his mouth. By the time he was found in Gainesville’s Paynes Prairie, the cord had sliced into his upper jaw and left a visible mark.
“It looks like someone made a loop, probably tried to capture him illegally, and the cord broke off around his jaw,” Brandon Fisher, Gatorland employee, said. “We don’t know how long it had been there.”
Gator on Florida highway causes motorcycle riders to crash’I flipped over the handlebars’: Gator on I-4 causes motorcycle riders to crash It took about an hour for Gatorland’s Captain Ron Sanderson, one of the park’s most experienced gator trappers, to capture Bungee and remove him safely.
The alligator was then examined by Gatorland veterinarian Dr. Bogan and is now receiving care.
“He’s perfectly healthy, perfectly fine,” Fisher said. “Our vet, Dr. Bogan, gave him the all clear, and we decided to release him into our 10-acre marsh, where he can live out the rest of his days in alligator paradise.”
Gator experts believe Bungee will adjust, find his place and settle comfortably into his new home.
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