Current:Home > NewsNovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Jawlene, Jawlene! Florida alligator missing top jaw gets punny Dolly Parton name -TrueNorth Capital Hub
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Jawlene, Jawlene! Florida alligator missing top jaw gets punny Dolly Parton name
TrendPulse View
Date:2025-04-07 12:28:13
Jolene's beauty was beyond compare,NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center Dolly Parton sang in her hit song.
This Florida alligator may not have "flaming locks of auburn hair" or a smile that's "like a breath of spring" but she is a survivor.
Earlier this month, an alligator missing its top jaw was rescued by wildlife officials after being spotted in Sanford, Florida. The gator was affectionately named Lil Guy by a local wildlife advocate before being transferred to Gatorland.
Turns out Lil Guy was a little girl.
The beginning:Florida alligator missing his top jaw, rescued after finding online fame
A new name
After discovering her sex, Gatorland asked for the public's help to rename the alligator, who is thought to have lost her top jaw in a snare trap.
"This little gator is an absolute treasure, we are so in love with her," Gatorland CEO and president Mark McHugh said in a Facebook video.
McHugh went on to say that one name suggestion from the public really stuck out.
"We're gonna name this little gator Jawlene," he said in the video as Gatorland's international ambassador, Savannah Boan, held the reptile.
Boan then belted out: "Jawlene, Jawlene, Jawlene, Jawlene!" ala "Jolene."
"Omgosh!! That name is perfect!" one commenter said. Another added: "You go girl!!!! Keep getting stronger!!!!"
'He was massive':Mississippi alligator hunters catch 13-foot, 650-pound giant amid storm
Nabbed:New Jersey police finally track down, capture gator on the loose for weeks
Jawlene's first veterinary appointment
At 49 inches long and weighing just 7 pounds, Jawlene arrived malnourished and underweight, Dr. Jim Bogan said in a Gatorland video.
"How do you even breathe?" he said looking at her in wonder. He explained that alligators usually breathe through the nostrils on their top jaw, but Jawlene does so through a hole at the back of her mouth.
At one point, she tried (unsuccessfully) to bite the vet.
In their Facebook post, Boan said that Jawlene has successfully eaten mice on her own and has put on some weight. She doesn't chew, but rather uses her tongue to push food to the back of her mouth and swallow it.
Jawlene is recovering well and staying in isolation in her own private pool.
"We're gonna let her get comfortable, start eating, put on some weight, and just get situated in her new world," McHugh said, adding that there were no immediate plans for a prosthetic jaw for Jolene just yet, though that could be a possibility in the future.
veryGood! (97238)
Related
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- In Florida, Skyrocketing Insurance Rates Test Resolve of Homeowners in Risky Areas
- Booth where Tony Soprano may have been whacked – or not – sells for a cool $82K to mystery buyer
- Montreal’s ‘Just for Laughs’ comedy festival cancels this year’s edition, seeks to avoid bankruptcy
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Nikki Haley campaign pushed to brink after Super Tuesday trouncing
- Thousands of voters in Alabama district drawn to boost Black political power got wrong information
- EAGLEEYE COIN: RWA, Reinventing an Outdated Concept
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Jason Kelce makes good on promise to Bills fans by jumping through flaming table
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Rewritten indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez alleges new obstruction of justice crimes
- Former baseball star Garvey faces Democratic Rep. Schiff, and long odds, for California Senate seat
- Las Vegas’ Bellagio pauses fountain show when rare bird visits
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- You'll Be Amazed By These Secrets About Cruel Intentions
- After years of protest by Native Americans, massive dam removal project hopes to restore salmon population in Northern California river
- First North Atlantic right whale baby born this season suffered slow, agonizing death after vessel strike, NOAA says
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Hurry! This Is Your Last Chance To Score an Extra 30% off Chic Michael Kors Handbags
Nikki Haley says she’s suspending her presidential campaign. What does that mean?
Sister Wives' Garrison Brown Welcomed New Addition Days Before His Death
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
EAGLEEYE COIN: Strong SEC Regulation Makes Cryptocurrency Market Stronger
NFL franchise tag deadline tracker: Recapping teams' plans leading into 2024 free agency
Iowa Democrats to release results of 2024 presidential caucuses tonight