Veterinarians at the University of Florida surgically removed a shoe that was swallowed twice by the same hungry alligator, the school said.
The 10.5-foot, 341-pound Nile crocodile, named Anuket, consumed the seemingly tasty footwear in December when it fell from a zip line liner at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoo, where the reptile resides, according to the College of University of Florida Veterinary. Medicine in Gainesville.
Witnesses saw Anuket consuming the shoe, regurgitating it and then swallowing it again, the university said.
“If the shoe fits him … swallow it?” the school said in a Facebook post. “It is not a good idea!”
After Anuket was brought to the University of Florida on February 5, vets tried various less invasive methods to get the shoe out of the beast, with no luck.
They were eventually forced to perform “a gastrotomy that allowed easier access to the crocodile’s stomach,” according to a statement.
“In no time, he was able to remove his shoe,” the school said. “After spending the night, Anuket came home and has been recovering in the park ever since.”
Ali gostanian contributed.