Vaughan Gators, LLC/FacebookIf animals getting hurt is too distressing for you then you might want to look away now because what’s to come is pretty heartbreaking for animal lovers.
A 463-pound alligator found itself stuck after wandering onto Interstate 10 and being hit by a semi-truck in Florida earlier this month.
The ginormous gator miraculously survived the June 3 incident, and seemingly made the 12-foot reptile angry, according to reports by News4Jax.
Vaughan Gators, LLC /FacebookEventually the gator was caught by Tallahassee alligator trapper Broderick Vaughan, who successfully trapped the animal hours after the highway was shut down.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse and the poor creature was put down after vets realised his injuries were more severe than they first realised.
Vaughan told the publication: ‘There was no reason to keep him alive and let him suffer.’
Vaughan Gators, LLC/FacebookAccording to Florida Wildlife regulation, any alligator that is bigger than four feet in length must be considered a nuisance and a potential threat to people and property and cannot be relocated as a result.
Sadly, if the gators cannot find a new home in exhibits or farms, they must be euthanised, which I think we can all agree is devastating news for the incredible species.
Meanwhile, another Florida alligator has made the headlines for a much more heartwarming reason last month as he soaked up the sun on nothing other than… a blow up alligator.
As reported by Local 10, David Jacobs, from Georgia, was on holiday with his family in South Miami for a wedding.
Jacobs said they first noticed the alligator in the lake behind the home, when the gator took a keen interest in the family’s dog. They thought nothing more of it though, and simply went back inside the house.
It wasn’t until Sunday (May 19) when the family noticed the alligator had moved from the lake into the pool. Not only that, but it was chilling on the alligator float. What are the chances?!
Jacobs told Miami New Times the family thought the alligator was ‘cute’ when they first saw it in the lake, although their dog Rascal – who spent the day barking because of the alligator’s presence – probably wouldn’t agree.
The family called the owner of the Airbnb they were staying in, who contacted someone from wildlife management. Eventually, they were able to fish the reptile out of the pool.
Hopefully the alligator will have found somewhere else to live its best life.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.