After an extensive search involving boats and drones, Florida wildlife officials rescued a crocodile that had a spear lodged in her head.
Observant citizens, wildlife rescuers, and veterinarians teamed up to ensure the survival of the injured reptile, who has since been named Britney Spears, according to CBS News.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spent two days looking for the croc after residents spotted her near a boat ramp in Key Largo, as Local 10 Miami reported.
"It was definitely intentional," Carlos Randin, who witnessed the spear, told Local 10. "You could tell by the angle."
Veterinarians at Zoo Miami also found that Britney had also been shot through the left eye, causing permanent vision loss, the group wrote on Facebook.
The team successfully removed the spear and administered fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication, according to the Palm Beach Post. Despite her injuries, Britney has been enjoying basking in the sun, and Zoo Miami expects to return her to the wild when she recovers fully.
The American crocodile is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. It was once hunted extensively for its hides, but its population has begun to rebound due to federal protections. It is illegal to kill or harass the species under both Florida and federal law.
While Britney's injuries are a somber reminder that there are people intent on harming wildlife, her survival shows how people can take action to protect the wildlife in their communities.
Similar rescue teams have saved vulnerable creatures all over the world, from a great black-backed gull impaled by a fishing hook in Scotland to an electrocuted baby howler monkey in Costa Rica.
"I've lived with crocodiles my whole life," Kelly Randin, another witness to the injured croc, told Local 10 Miami. "They don't bother you. They don't harm you. There's no reason to harm them."
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