Young alligators can regrow severed tails
Alligators are the largest species known to regrow severed limbs. They can regrow up to 9 inches of a lost tail
BOCA RATON, Florida. – A Florida woman bravely rescued her dog from an alligator attack near Boca Raton, according to a report last month.
Suzan Marciano, 74, was walking her dog Nalu near a lake in Burt Aaronson Park on Aug. 24 when she took her leash so the animal could play in the water. Marciano soon discovered a dark shadow in the lake as the two fetchers played, which turned out to be an alligator about two meters long.
“My heart fell,” she told the Palm Beach Post this week.
After discovering the alligator, Marciano attacked Nalu in the water and grabbed the dog with his jaws. The owner resisted.
“I haven’t thought,” said Marciano. “I did the only thing I could do. I dropped all my weight on the alligator.”
Marciano suffered a stab wound in the center of her palm during the tussle. She was taken to Baptist Health Urgent Care where she received five stitches.
“It was all a big blur,” she told the Post. “I was so shocked. I didn’t feel any pain. “
Nalu suffered stab wounds on the abdomen and thighs – and, according to the newspaper, was operated on for two hours in an animal emergency clinic.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission official and a park ranger checked the lake but found no alligators, according to an incident report.
Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that Florida has had an average of seven unprovoked bites per year for the past 10 years, severe enough to require professional medical treatment.
Fox News’ Julia Musto contributed to this report. Get updates on this story from FOX News