An alligator without its top jaw has found a forever home at Gatorland theme park in Orlando.
The gator’s tongue is fully visible after its snout appeared completely to have been torn off below its eyes.
It’s 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.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) was first alerted to the unusual sight in late August and helped to rescue the alligator which was finally caught mid-September.
The gator has since been given the name Jawlene, inspired by the 1973 Dolly Parton hit, Jolene.
An alligator without its top jaw has found a forever home at Gatorland theme park in Orlando
The gator’s tongue is fully visible due to the snout being torn off below its eyes
‘We’re just a down home, southern country gem and of course, if you come visit with us, you get our warm, southern hospitality every time you come,’ said the CEO of Gatorland, Mark McHugh, on Facebook.
‘This little gator is an absolute treasure. We are so in love with her – but another American treasure is Dolly Parton,’ he added.
Jawlene’s condition has improved since being rescued is is now able to eat once again after first being spotted at a park in Sanford near Orlando.
The exact cause of the alligator’s injury remains unclear, but wildlife experts suspect it occurred after the animal was ensnared in a hunting trap
Gatorland’s global conservation ambassador, Savannah Boan, is helping to care for the gator
The young gator is now finding her feet once again in her new ‘forever home’ at Gatorland
The cut across the gator’s jaw is a clean one which suggests the act was committed by a snare
The gator will remain in captivity but be able to feed which would likely have been impossible in the wild
‘From the image I was provided, the alligator appears to have good body weight, and the injury healed over, but the continued survivability in the wild is slim,’ Kim Titterington, a wildlife rehabilitator said to People.
‘It could be from another alligator but the clean cut also suggests this animal was caught in a hunting snare.’
The gator will remain in captivity but now be able to feed which would likely have been impossible in the wild.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk