Odd News

Crocodile undergoes surgery to remove shoe from stomach in Florida

By Ben Hooper   |   Feb. 16, 2021 at 4:35 PM

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A crocodile from a Florida zoo underwent surgery to remove a shoe swallowed by the reptile when it fell from a zipliner's foot.

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine said the 11-foot crocodile was brought to the facility Feb. 5, after ingesting a shoe that fell from a zipliner's foot at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

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Veterinarians said the croc had originally thrown up the shoe, but ate it a second time. Vets attempted to get the crocodile to vomit again, but without success.

The 341-pound crocodile ended up undergoing a gastrotomy surgical procedure to remove the footwear from its stomach.

The crocodile, named Anuket, was kept overnight for supervision and is now recovering in its enclosure at the zoo.