police shot alligator to recover zookeeper's arm

[MikeH]

It was mentioned in Chinese-language news that the cop fired two shots with his service pistol. The alligator is still alive, and the zoo will try to save his life if and when they can get him to calm down.

Guess 9mm Luger FMJ isn't enough to take down an alligator.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/...lligator_bites_off_vets_forearm_in_Taiwan_zoo

Asia-Pacific News
Alligator bites off vet's forearm in Taiwan zoo

Apr 11, 2007, 12:31 GMT

Taipei - An alligator in a Taiwan zoo bit off a veterinarian's forearm Wednesday when the vet was trying to treat the sick animal.

The incident occurred at the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung, south Taiwan, when zoo vet Chang Po-yu was giving the alligator three anaesthesia shots, so that he could treat the alligator's illness.

After having given the alligator its shots, Chang, thinking the animal was under anaesthesia, tried to pull the syringe with his left hand from the alligator, but the alligator suddenly turned around and bit off Chang's left hand and forearm.

Chang was rushed to hospital. The zoo's security personnel arrived at the scene one hour later, shot the alligator and freed Chang's forearm from the alligator's mouth and sent it to the hospital.

Chang was conscious upon arrival at the hospital, and doctors began sewing his left forearm back on.

'This is a difficult operation because we have to sew back his muscles, nerves and blood vessels which are badly severed,' one doctor told reporters.

 

[JackW]

The zoo's security personnel arrived at the scene one hour later

One hour later ????
Must be a very large zoo

 

[MikeH]

That article I posted didn't get all the details straight. The cop who fired was not zoo security, but dispatched from the nearest precint. He didn't shoot the alligator right away because the zoo staff wanted to try tranquilizer darts first.

Anyway, latest news has it that the bullets he fired didn't penetrate at all. The alligator only suffered superficial wounds and will recover fully.

 

[Jim March]

I thought China *wanted* everybody disarmed?

 

[silverlance]

they're soft on alligators!

btw this is taiwan not china.

no diff to most westerners but big diff in politics.

 

[Frog48]

Chang was conscious upon arrival at the hospital, and doctors began sewing his left forearm back on.

'This is a difficult operation because we have to sew back his muscles, nerves and blood vessels which are badly severed,' one doctor told reporters.

I'm curious about the success rate of this sort of operation. I cant imagine that it works well very often... but I'm no doctor.

 

[Zen21Tao]

I'm curious about the success rate of this sort of operation.

I am actually more curious as to how much use (percent wise) of his arm he will have after the surgery.

 

[Working Man]

I am actually more curious as to how much use (percent wise) of his arm he will have after the surgery.

Not much I would bet.
Getting one's arm taken by an alligator would cause sever tearing and
stretching of the muscles and so forth. Even with clean removals the
percentage is not 100. An hour in the alligator's mouth (I'm surprised it did not
swallow) won't do the arm any favors as their mouths are so filled with
bacteria.

I wonder where he shot it?
I missed where it said 9mm or is that just their standard issue?

 

[MikeH]

The 'gator was shot in the neck, then in the back.

Standard issue of Taiwan's uniform police is S&W 5904. Ammo is FMJ only because of the popular misconception that all expanding "dumdum bullets" are inhuman and banned internationally.

 

[Gunpacker]

Well, there have been several transplants of arms and hands where the recipient was able to use the arm and even the hand. Better to have your own sewn on I guess. At least it matches, unlike the transplanted ones.
The fact that it was ripped off might cause problems in reattachment though.

 

[bsf]

That folks is why I hate alligators. Their power and the damage they can cause in a fraction of a second are truly impressive. Silly weak humans. I wonder if we taste like chicken to them.

 

[Browns Fan]

Dude! You guys need to check out the pix at foxnews.com!

 

[Lucky]

Jim you are the man!

Browns thx for tip - found my new desktop

 

[Gator]

Do they have workers comp in China?

Seriously though, that's a Crocodile, not an alligator...we Gators don't need any more bad publicity

 

[Zen21Tao]

Sorry, the U snaped snout (vs a V shaped snout) shows it a Gator. Believe me, as a UF grad student, I hate to admit it's a Gator.

 

[Gator]

Don't be sorry, its a Nile Croc.

(Gators are my job )

 

[doubleg]

"Hi honey, how was work today?"

"Not to good ya know. I got my arm bitten off by an alligator."

 

[Cosmoline]

That folks is why I hate alligators.

No, that's why alligators hate vets

 

[Kali Endgame]

Yikes! Loosing and arm in such a violent manner must suck.

Here is a fun video of a guy jumping over Crocodiles.

 

[swampgator]

Zen21Tao

A couple years back, one the employees at Kanapaha park was removing weeds from the edge of the water when he his arm was bitten off by a gator.

FWC sent a trapper, a captain, a lieutenant and several wildlife officers. The man was rushed to Shands and the alligator was dispatched and opened up on scene and the arm was retrieved. I have photos of it somewhere.

Long story short he lost the arm. There were a couple articles in the Sun about it.