On July 20 an alligator wrestler at the Native Village roadside zoo in Hollywood was bitten and seriously injured by an alligator. The man, Will Nace, was preparing for a common trick during wrestling shows– during which an alligator is tormented with a stick or hit on the nose until the animal opens his or her mouth (to show the alligator’s teeth to the crowd)– when the alligator bit down on his arm and pulled him into the water. Nace told WSVN Ch. 7 that he had performed the trick “three or four times a day for the past year,” but this time the alligator reacted differently. Nace’s right arm was broken in two different places and he suffered severe skin lacerations. He is recovering at a local hospital.
During wrestling shows, alligators are roughly treated and intentionally provoked in order to entertain a crowd. Native Village is one of only a handful of roadside attractions in Florida where alligator wrestling can still be witnessed. Visit ARFF’s website for more information about the cruel spectacle.
Contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and urge them to stop the harassment of all Florida wildlife, including captive alligators. By discouraging alligator wrestling shows, the FWC would not only protect alligators from abusive treatment, but would ensure human safety as well.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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