Florida Wildlife Park Director Loses Hand After Alligator Bite
Florida wildlife park director Greg Graziani has lost one of his hands after being severely wounded due to an alligator bite.
CBS News reported that Graziani operates a Florida Gator Gardens facility, where alligators are bred and trained. The facility's official Facebook page said Graziani was injured during a "routine interaction" with one of the Gator Park's large reptiles.
The post added that they never fail to note the gravity of the situation every time they work with their animals. The statement noted that they are working with an animal where collaboration and training between species is taught, adding that it "usually goes against quite a few natural instincts."
The Florida Gator Gardens did not provide details about the incident that caused Graziani's injury. However, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) representative noted that it received a call reporting a "possible alligator bite accident located at a "licensed captive wildlife facility."
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Florida Wildlife Park Director Losing Hand
Greg Graziani told CNN that the alligator bite occurred during a routine training session, wherein he used his hand under the alligator's jaw to give it a command.
A leaf from the surrounding bush came loose, which came between him and the alligator. He said the lack of visibility became the problem.
The alligator then lunged forward. Graziani noted that his hand was in the gator's mouth and the animal's instinct was to pull back, adding that there was "no malice."
Graziani said the alligator responded to his command to back off and released his hand. He added that it could have been a lot worse if a totally wild gator without any training was involved.
Florida Gator Gardens noted that doctors hoped they could save Graziani's left arm. The bit left the wildlife park director's hand connected to just a tendon and some muscle, with the surgeon having to untwist six times during the initial surgery.
Tampa Bay Times reported that it was Graziani's second time an alligator broke one of his arms. The first one was in 2013, involving a female "nuisance" gator that Graziani trapped and removed from someone's property.
The alligator was tied and stored in a horse trailer when it suddenly rolled and trapped Graziani's arm in a rope. The female gator then snapped the bones in multiple places.
His then-12-year-old son freed him by cutting him free from the alligator. The wildlife park director plans to return to his job at Florida Gator Garden and will continue with "amazing projects," according to park officials.
Another Alligator Bite Incident in Florida
Earlier this month, another Florida man was hospitalized after an alligator bit him in the face. According to People, the victim was 34-year-old Juan Carlos La Verde, who was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa when an alligator attacked him.
The FWC did not detail the extent of his injuries. However, it noted that La Verde was transported to Tampa General Hospital for treatment.
A nuisance alligator trapper was then deployed to the lake after the incident. The FWC is leading an investigation into the attack. Florida has reported 442 unprovoked attacks between 1948 to 2021.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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