In a horrific incident, a wildlife expert in the United States lost his right forearm after being mauled by the alligator he was caring for.
According to a Facebook post, Greg Graziani, the director of wildlife at Florida Gator Gardens, was attacked on Aug. 17 “during a routine interaction with (the) large alligators of the park.” After the incident, he was rushed to Tampa General Hospital with an extreme injury that left his hand connected by just a single tendon and muscle that the surgeon had to loosen six times.
“A tendon and some muscle that the surgeon had to loosen six times during the first operation. Needless to say, we fully expected an amputation from the moment after the impact,” the social media caption read.
Mr. Graziani went under the knife for about nine hours and doctors amputated below his elbow. Florida Gator Gardens officials said surgeons attempted to reattach his arm by putting plates together to hold the bones. But days later, they couldn’t save Mr. Graziani’s hand.
Also read | Two brothers in the US capture more than 10-foot-long alligator, officials say it could be 100 years old
The doctors then performed “a procedure to reroute the nerves of the amputated limb in such a way as to eliminate phantom pain and provide the opportunity for prosthetics with the very highest technological advancements and innovations,” the park said.
This wasn’t the first time Graziani himself had been on the wrong end of an alligator. The park said he nearly lost his right arm in 2013 when he caught an alligator on someone else’s property.
However, the post said that despite several altercations with the giant reptiles, Mr. Graziani is still committed to protecting the creatures and educating people about them. “Even despite the pain and heavy medication, he still preaches his reptile education to nurses, doctors and visitors,” the park wrote.
On the other hand, the alligator involved in the attack was unharmed and will remain a “valued member of the zoo,” park officials said.