When it comes to their pets, people can be incredibly brave, even risking their own lives.
Stories abound about ordinary individuals who put themselves in harm’s way to rescue their pets (just as pets instinctively protect their owners).
In an incredible act of courage, a 74-year-old woman confronted an alligator to save her beloved golden retriever.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Suzan Marciano of Boca Raton, Florida, was out walking her dog Nalu near a lake on the evening of August 24.
After a playful moment with a ball, they were by the lake with the golden retriever standing in the water up to its chest.
Suzan’s heart sank as she noticed a dark shape approaching her dog in the water.
It was an alligator measuring over 2 meters long, and in a flash, it had Nalu in its grip.
Without a second thought, the senior citizen leaped into action to rescue her dog.
“I did the only thing I could do. I went after the alligator with all my weight,” she recounted to the Palm Beach Post.
The alligator released Nalu but then turned its aggression towards Suzan, biting her hand. “It was all a big blur. I was in shock. I didn’t even feel any pain,” she remembered.
Both Suzan and Nalu survived the harrowing experience, although they both had puncture wounds that necessitated a trip to the hospital.
Suzan received five stitches in her hand, while Nalu underwent a two-hour surgery for severe injuries to her abdomen and thigh.
Both were deeply affected by the incident, with Suzan admitting to being fearful of returning to the park for weeks: “I still see the shadow with two eyes looking up from the water. That image keeps coming back,” she shared with the Palm Beach Post.
Following the incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission investigated the area but did not find any alligators in the lake. A spokesperson mentioned that their program “proactively addresses alligator threats.”
This was a truly terrifying event. Despite sustaining injuries and emotional trauma, the fact that both Suzan and Nalu survived illustrates the incredible bravery of pet owners when faced with danger.
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