A zoo crocodile undergoes surgery to remove shoe from stomach

Doctors of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine successfully performed surgery on a Nile crocodile named Anuket. The crocodile weighed 341 pound. According to the social media post of St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, In December, a shoe slipped off the feet of a tourist ziplining over the crocodile habitat. Anuket who lived with another crocodile Sobek ate the shoe. There were many efforts made to remove the shoe but all failed. That's when Anuket had to undergo abdominal surgery.

Crocodile Anuket undergoes surgery

It is mentioned in the Facebook post of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine that several efforts to flush out the shoe from its stomach at the farm and at the University of Florida had been unsuccessful. During her most recent visit to the University of Florida, zoo medicine resident Garrett Fraess initially attempted to remove the shoe by reaching his arm up and through the crocodile’s esophagus but was unsuccessful. The zoo medicine team then took Anuket for surgery, where Dr. Adam Biedrzycki, a large animal surgeon, tried to remove the shoe through an incision and push it from the stomach to the esophagus, where Fraess hoped to be able to feel and grab hold of the shoe to pull it out. That effort, too, failed.

Dr. Biedrzycki then performed a gastrotomy which allowed easier access to the crocodile’s stomach. This time the surgery was a success and Dr. Adam was able to remove the shoe from the stomach. After an overnight stay, Anuket returned home and has been recuperating at the park since then. 

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Anuket is now recovering well

The social media post of the zoo said, "Anuket is recovering well back at our zoo in an off-display area, but her full recovery will take some time before she will be able to rejoin Sobek in the Oasis." The post also said, how they also made many efforts to remove the shoe. They massaged the stomach of the crocodile, flushed her stomach and even reached inside to try to find it. All of these measures were taken to avoid major abdominal surgery. But, since all the efforts were unsuccessful, they had to choose the method of abdominal surgery. 

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