three-legged-alligator-inspires-online-users-one-strong-soul

Three-Legged Alligator Inspires Online Users: ‘One Strong Soul’

One special gator near Lake Okeechobee in Florida is inspiring the masses; wildlife photographer Bobby Wummer caught a video of a three-legged alligator in the swamps. The gator had to lean against the ground where its right front leg should be, but it seemed to be getting around fine.

“This alligator obviously had a fight with another alligator and lost its right front limb,” Wummer wrote on Instagram. “But even with this alligator missing it’s right front leg he is vigilant to survive and will. This guy here was quite a ways from his waterhole and managing just fine. They are truly last of the the dinosaurs and they are tough creatures.”

This three-legged alligator has become a symbol for perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. But, in reality, he’s just living his life as a gator, doing gator things, just one leg short.

Alligators with missing limbs or parts of their tails are usually victims of violent fights between bulls over mates or territory. This guy was most likely the loser of one such fight, but the 6-foot gator seems to be doing alright minus one of those feet.

According to the Miami Herald, Wummer’s video was viewed over 122,000 times on Instagram, and 16,000 times on Facebook. It gathered hundreds of likes and responses. “The alligators with missing limbs that I have seen in the field and this is many,” Wummer wrote in his Instagram caption, “have all healed over and the gators were extremely fat and healthy and having no problems getting around walking on land.”

Some people on Facebook praised the three-legged alligator’s resilience. “It is the continuing story of strength and perseverance for this guy,” said one. Another called the gator “one strong soul.” Yet another replied, “He is still scary.”

Even though this three-legged gator has become an inspiring icon, it’s still best to keep your distance if you see him in the wild; he may have one less leg, but I bet he’s still deadly.

Monster Alligator Feeds On Florida Livestock

In other alligator news out of Florida, in early February, a hunter took out a 13-foot alligator after it feasted on livestock. First, calves were reported missing in Okeechobee County in South Florida; then, when the ranch owner found the monstrous reptile on his property, local officials called in a professional.

They called Doug Borries, Mississippi hunting guide. “I had no idea the magnitude of how big his body was until we pulled him completely out of the lake,” Borries told McClatchy News. The gator was 13-feet long, weighed over 900 pounds, and was around 80 years old.

Apparently, Borries took the shot from 320 yards away, and hit. “I was staked out on top of the lake levee before daylight and shot him on an island in the middle of the lake, shortly after daylight,” said Borries. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I was lucky enough to put a perfect shot on him at such a long-range. It pays to have a good gun.”