An alligator in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park with a bungee cord wrapped around its top jaw was rescued earlier this month and brought to Gatorland in Orlando.
The 9-foot-long, 200-pound male alligator had been seen around Paynes Prairie in recent months with a bungee cord around his jaw. Trapper Ron Sanderson was able to safely capture the approximately 25-year-old alligator and deliver him to Gatorland for treatment.
Sanderson, in a video shared by Gatorland on June 7, said the bungee cord was “so tight that it had grown in and it’s messed up his bone on his top jaw.”
“it’s just amazing that someone would do this on purpose to this alligator,” Sanderson said.
The alligator has now been fittingly named “Bungee.”
Bungee the alligator is given one final check before being released at Gatorland in Orlando.
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Sanderson said in the video that Bungee could not be released back into Paynes Prairie because it was clear that he had been illegally fed and due to the guidelines outlined in Florida’s nuisance alligator program.
“Someone tried to catch this alligator with a bungee cord, which became deeply embedded in his top jaw. This was an extremely dangerous situation for Bungee and could have eventually killed him. People were illegally feeding him and he came right up out of the water to take food from the trapper,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, in a press release.
Before being released at Gatorland, Bungee had the cord removed and received a medical exam by Dr. James Bogan.
“We are so excited to give Bungee a second chance to recover and thrive with us here at Gatorland, and we are incredibly grateful to Ron Sanderson for his months of hard work to catch Bungee and bring him to us,” McHugh said. That’s what Gatorland Global is all about. It’s passionately engaging in alligator and crocodile conservation, and teaching others how important these animals are to our animal kingdom.”
Gatorland is also home to “Jawlene,” an alligator with a missing upper jaw that made headlines after being rescued by wildlife officials in September 2023.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alligator with cord around top jaw rescued from Paynes Prairie Park