A zoo in Nebraska removed 70 coins from the stomach of a 36-year-old white alligator. The Omaha Zoo and Aquarium found these coins inside the alligators during routine care. The zoo shared the news on Instagram. After posting, it received widespread attention.
“Our veterinarians have confirmed that Thibodeau, a 36-year-old leucistic American alligator who is an iconic resident of the zoo, has a metal foreign body in his stomach. Thibodeau was diagnosed with a metal foreign object in his stomach before it caused any problems. After receiving veterinary treatment to remove the foreign objects, the team identified 70 foreign objects, including “US coins,” the Omaha Zoo and Aquarium wrote in the caption of the post. (Also read: Man kisses baby crocodile's face, what happens next is horrifying. Watch)
Christina Ploeg, an associate veterinarian at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, who led the procedure, told the zoo, “With the help of training, Thibodeau was anesthetized and intubated and could be safely managed during the procedure.” “It became like that,” he said.
She also added that “plastic pipes were installed to protect his mouth and to allow the tools used to access the coins (such as cameras to help guide the recovery of these objects) to pass safely through.” It was done,” he added.
See the post here.
This post was shared on Instagram a few days ago. Since it was posted, it has received nearly 5,000 likes and numerous comments. Many people took to the comments section of the post to share their reactions.
Here are people's reactions to this:
“I'm glad the crocodile is feeling better,” one person wrote.
A second person added: “That's terrible. Poor guy. I'm glad he's okay.”
A third said: “Well done! I hope this never happens again.”
“I'm so glad he's doing well!” a fourth commented.