The kiddies got more than they bargained for at this petting zoo.
The trainer was in serious trouble. She had been dragged into the gators pen. She stayed calm and that probably saved her life.
I admire the 2 guys that helped her. I’m not sure I could go into that pen with no training. My idea of a day at the zoo doesn’t include jumping on the back of a gator.
Sure glad no one was seriously injured.
Awesome guy, the one who jumped in and grabbed the gator and stopped it from rolling over with the lady.
I think once he stopped its rolling, the lady told him what things to do — no sound in the video, it’s a guess.
Kudos to the guy who jumped on the alligator, but damn, the ice water in the keeper’s veins. Hand clamped in the alligator’s mouth and she just calmly directs her own rescue. Wow.
Yeah, great move on the man helping. I guess watching Steve Irwin payed off!
Yes she was lying there calmly, propping up her head in her hand like she’s lying on the sofa watching a movie.
I can only imagine the guys thoughts when he was in the enclosure alone. The trainer gave good instructions and he got out OK.
OK, now why does a petting zoo have an alligator? A petting zoo!?
I’m glad everyone is OK, but I really like the alligator’s name: Darth Gator.
“Luke, you are my lunch!”
I’d guess the petting area is separate from the dangerous animals.
Scales and Tails Facebook page calls itself a petting zoo.
They posted an update from the trainer. The orthopedic surgeon thinks she’ll regain full use of her hand. She’s on heavy antibiotics.
Piranha tanks are too expensive?
Polk.
Salad.
Annie.
This one is only $62.46 and comes with two piranhas included.
Complete with missing hand.
Plenty of credit to go around for all those involved, but yeah, the trainer keeping calm, locking her legs around the gator, then instructing the two men on how to manage the situation - damn. This video should be used in crisis training, to demonstrate why keeping calm and not panicking is so important. This woman’s the Gator Sully.
… and sticking around after she was freed to direct the guy on how to get himself out safely. She wins the Internet for the week in my book.
I know you would need nerves of steel to work as a gator trainer, but damn!
It’s the adrenaline junkie petting zoo. Instead of lambs and bunnies they have gators and king cobras.
They host kids’ birthday parties, so of course it’s a petting zoo. Kids like that. Alligators probably like that too.
Little-known alligator fact: While they have great chomping power when closing their mouth on your arm, they are weak at opening their mouth. So the trick to alligator wrassling is to get your hands around their snout with their mouth closed and hold their mouth closed.
Donnie Wiseman reacts to his experience helping the trainer.
He credits the trainer for staying calm and giving instructions.