Giant Alligator Saved from Fishing Hooks

0:00It's April 22nd. This is Durham News Today, driven by AI. A massive 7-foot 9-inch alligator in Wilmington, North Carolina got a second chance when a wildlife biologist yanked fishing hooks from its, face on April 13th. The bees had a 4-inch plastic lure jammed in there. One hooked piercing its third eyelid for underwater sight, the other deep in its sinus cavity. Biologist John Henry Harrelson and his team spotted the problem after a resident called it in near Willow Glen apartments. They dragged the gator from a retention pond for some quick field surgery, slicing off that double hook whopper plopper lure that was snagging moss, and junk everywhere. This kind of mess hits every summer around here, with lures stuck on gator's faces, sometimes folks do it on purpose just to mess around. North Carolina sits at the northern edge of alligator turf, where males top out at 12 to 13 feet and 500 pounds. Right after the hooks came out, the gator's eye popped open, and a reacted sharp to Harrelson's hand nearby, proving its vision

1:04bounced back quick. Suspect the injury was just a few days old from nearby fishing. Alligators chill in coastal ponds like these, so play it safe, skip feeding them or tossing scraps in the water, leash up pets, keep kids close, and dial wildlife resources at 8066-27137. If one gets too bold, stay aware, and we all swim smooth.