Latest news with #alligator
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
Alligator injures girl swimming in popular summer state park destination
A North Carolina girl was injured last weekend after coming in contact with an alligator while she and a group of other children were swimming in Lake Waccamaw, located about an hour east of Wilmington. The Lake Waccamaw Police Department announced the incident on Friday, June 13, saying multiple children were playing in about four feet of water when the 12-year-old victim yelled, "Something bit me!" The children were "rushed out of the water," at which point an alligator surfaced in the shallow water, police said. "The injuries sustained were serious but not life-threatening in any way," the police department said. "It is also unclear as to if the injuries were caused by a bite or a claw. But they were definitely caused by the alligator." The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) also responded to the incident and told Fox News Digital in a statement that the 12-foot male alligator made contact with the victim, "resulting in a laceration and scratches on her legs." "The evidence suggests this was not a predatory attack. Regardless, this alligator's contact with a human resulted in an injury requiring medical attention," the NCWRC said. The commission continued, "In the process of investigating the incident residents suggested that alligators are being observed more frequently in the lake during daylight hours. As such, the NCWRC asked to be notified of large alligators that are spending time around a pier or in the lake in daylight hours. Also, any alligator that regularly approaches people or is exhibiting a general lack of fear or aggressive behavior." Police said the alligator involved in the incident was euthanized. The NCWRC's protocol is to euthanize an alligator any time it makes contact with a person. "We remind our residents and visitors to remain ever vigilant and aware of their surroundings. In this particular case, the gator was never seen till after the incident occurred, and multiple adults were present," the police department said. "Please respect the water and understand these animals are not tame or pets. If you see one, maintain a safe distance at all times. And exit the water if you are in it." The NCWRC noted that incidents involving contact between people and alligators are "extremely rare" in the Tar Heel State and described the alligator's behavior in the Lake Waccamaw incident as "unusual" but "not predatory in nature."
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Alligator named Ferdinand recovered during eviction process at Philadelphia home
An alligator is safe in an animal shelter after it was recovered from a Philadelphia home during an eviction. ACCT Philly says the alligator, originally named "Chompy," was in a home on the 2500 block of Cumberland Street. Workers were able to get him out of the house, and he is now headed to a rescue in Florida. The gator's name has been changed to Ferdinand. A Husky named Gia was also recovered from the home. ACCT Philly says they've seen an unusually high number of exotic animals this week, including a blue-tongued skink, a pheasant and two quail.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Alligator found outside Virginia motel after getting loose while being moved from New York to North Carolina zoo
An alligator was found outside a Virginia motel after it got loose while being moved from New York to a North Carolina zoo. Body cam footage captured the moment a police officer arrived on scene and exclaimed, "There is actually an alligator outside of the motel!" Fairfax County Police were sent to the motel in the 5900 block of Richmond Highway on June 16th, 2025, around midnight. Later in the footage, police are heard warning another resident of the motel to take their dog inside. The estimated six-foot animal was led back to its room by its owner and is currently en route to North Carolina.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Watch: Florida police bravely wrangle hissing alligator in parking lot
This is the moment Florida police wrangled a small alligator in a parking lot after a daring pursuit. Body cam footage shows Clearwater officers attempting to flank the reptile in the grass before it scurries away from the catch pole. 'Oh, he knows,' one officer says. Another officer eventually catches the alligator by the tail. 'Why did you get the back?', an officer asks while the alligator hisses angrily. 'What am I supposed to do with that?' The officers eventually snatched the reptile by the neck with the catch pole, in the incident on 6 June, before securing it with a blanket before carefully placing it in the back of a cruiser.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gator with bungee-corded jaw rescued, relocated to Gatorland
Gatorland's latest rescue animal is a 9-foot alligator found near Gainesville with a bungee cord wrapped around his upper jaw. The reptile was captured by a trapper and delivered to the Orlando attraction, which will be his new home. His new name: Bungee. 'Someone tried to catch this alligator with a bungee cord, which became deeply imbedded in his top jaw. This was an extremely dangerous situation for Bungee and could have eventually killed him, Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said in a news release. Orlando's Titanic attraction adds recovered necklace to artifact lineup 'People were illegally feeding him and he came right up out of the water to take food from the trapper,' McHugh said. The animal had been seen for months at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. The cord was removed, and the animal received medical care before joining the other gators at Gatorland. Bungee weighs 200 pounds and is estimated to be 25 years old. SeaWorld Orlando: New emperor penguins set for Florida debut He is one of more than 100 rescue alligators at the attraction. Conservation falls under the perview of Gatorland Global, a nonprofit organization with a local and international reach. 'We are incredibly grateful to [trapper] 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 Global conservation arm achieves not-for-profit status Email me at dbevil@ BlueSky: @themeparksdb. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at
