No species is immune to injury, and unfortunately, animals sometimes suffer grievous injuries and humans can do nothing to help them. Recently, there was a video of a tailless alligator shared across multiple news outlets, and it caused quite an uproar!
In the original video taken by Ashlyn Bartholomew and then shared by @cbsnews, an alligator in Southern Louisiana stopped traffic and can be seen slowly waddling across a busy two-lane road. Unfortunately, this alligator has completely lost his tail. As you can imagine, he is still recognizable as a gator, but most people are stunned by the sight of him due to the obviously grim injury he has endured.
@cbsnews An alligator was seen slowly waddling across a road in Southern Louisiana on May 19 missing one distinguishable and important feature — its tail. Audubon Zoo reptile expert Robert Mendyk told Nola.com that the gator could have lost its tail to a passing boat propellor or in a fight with another gator. “I’ve seen an adult alligator missing 75 percent of its tail before,” he told the outlet. “…The wound walls itself off and heals. They have really phenomenal healing and regenerative abilities.” He also said that losing the tail means that the gator may no longer be able to swim. #alligator #gator #reptile #reptilesoftiktok #louisiana #plaqueminesparish
The video has sparked lots of questions about how he survived such a terrible injury, what may have happened to him, and whether his life expectancy will be affected by the loss of his tail.
An expert from the Audubon Zoo, Robert Mendyk, weighed in on the gator’s predicament and theorized about how he may have lost his entire tail. He suggested that the alligator could have been injured during a territorial fight with another gator or he potentially crossed paths with the propeller on a boat motor.
The cause of the injury is less important to concerned viewers. They would like to know if wildlife professionals can rescue him, and many are concerned about his quality of life.
Related: Florida Alligator Makes Himself Right at Home in Woman’s Kitchen
According to Mr. Mendyk, alligators can survive without their tails. However, without it he potentially could have lost his ability to swim. Therefore, if he can’t swim, he must stay on the shore or in low-lying water areas such as canals or swamps.
Alligators do have regenerative and restorative healing abilities. However, the zoo expert says, this guy is unlikely to see any growth to the lower portion of his body. Mr. Mendyk says that gators can heal after an injury of this magnitude and though they face challenges, they can learn to adapt to their new body.