- A jawless alligator has found a permanent home at Gatorland in Orlando
- The alligator’s tongue is fully visible as the snout is torn off below its eyes
- The exact cause of the alligator’s injury remains unclear, but wildlife experts suspect the injury occurred after the animal was caught in a hunting trap
A jawless alligator has found a forever home at Orlando’s Gatorland theme park.
The alligator’s tongue is fully visible after its snout appeared to be completely sawn off beneath its eyes.
It is not clear how the animal sustained the injury, but wildlife experts believe the clean cut occurred after the animal was caught in a hunting snare.
Feeding has also become a problem for the reptile due to its lack of a powerful bite, but it is believed to have survived by eating carrion, invertebrates or other slow-moving, small-moving prey for sustenance.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) was first alerted to the unusual sight in late August and helped rescue the alligator, which was eventually captured in mid-September.
Based on the Dolly Parton hit “Jolene” from 1973, the alligator has since been aptly named Jawlene.
A jawless alligator has found a permanent home at Orlando’s Gatorland theme park. The alligator’s tongue is fully visible as the snout has been torn off beneath its eyes. The alligator is now being cared for and cared for at Gatorland
“We are simply a down-to-earth Southern country gem, and of course when you visit you will be treated to our warm Southern hospitality every time,” Gatorland CEO Mark McHugh said on Facebook.
“This little alligator is an absolute treasure.” “We’re so in love with her – but another American treasure is Dolly Parton,” he added.
Jawlene’s condition has improved since her rescue. She is now able to eat again after she was first spotted at a park in Sanford, near Orlando.
“At first my brain couldn’t comprehend that he was missing his entire upper jaw,” Eustacia Kanter told Fox 35 last month.
“When I realized I felt sorry for her, I took as good a photo as I could with my phone from a distance so I could share it and try to find help.”
The exact cause of the alligator’s injury remains unclear, but wildlife experts believe it occurred after the animal was caught in a hunting trap. Gatorland Global Conservation Ambassador Savannah Boan helps care for the alligator. The alligator will remain in captivity, but can no longer do so. Thanks to the care of the staff at the theme park and zoo, the alligator can now eat much more easily since it now has a steady stream of food. It is likely that the alligator has not had a snout for some time, as the injury appears to be scarred and fully healed. The young alligator is now finding her feet again in her new “forever home” in Gatorland. The cut on the alligator’s jaw is clean, indicating that the crime was committed through a snare. The alligator remains in captivity, but feeding her would probably have been impossible in the wild
“From the image provided to me, the alligator appears to be in good body weight and the injury has healed, but survivability in the wild is low,” Kim Titterington, a wildlife rehabilitator, told People.
“It could have come from an entanglement with another alligator, but the clean cut also suggests that this animal was caught in a hunting snare.”
Titterington also pointed out that the alligator likely had not had a snout for some time, as the injury appeared to be scarred and fully healed.
The alligator will remain in captivity, but thanks to the care of staff at the theme park and zoo, it will now be able to feed much more easily as it now has a steady stream of food.