World News

Little Girl Goads Gator Into Opening Its Mouth and Releasing Her Leg

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Tony Maples Photography

 

A little girl was sitting in about two feet of water in the designated swimming area of Lake Mary Jane in Orlando, Florida earlier this week while her family and several other people played nearby. Suddenly, an 8-foot, 9-inch gator latched onto the 10-year-old’s leg. Amazingly, the Orlando Sentinel says the child was able to “pry” open its mouth to release her leg.

A lifeguard helped to treat the bite while another citizen called 911 and reported that she sustained puncture wounds. She was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital, but thankfully, her injuries weren’t life-threatening. In fact, she’s doing well and talked to the Today Show about her unfortunate meeting with the big creature.

She told the news that she didn’t quite “pry” open the mouth of the gator, but she used one of the facts she learned at Gator Land to convince the gator to release her. Thinking quickly, she used two fingers to plug up the gator’s nose, so it had to breathe through its mouth! And it let go.

As for the gator, the 911 caller says they say it swimming “right in the middle of the swimming area” of the lake. It was later captured. According to WESH, the park will remain closed while Orange County Parks and Recreation officials determine the safety of the area.