BIGGEST GATOR CALLED BUDDY HAS DIED OF OLD AGE. BUDDY WAS NEARLY 14FT LONG AND WEIGHED MORE THAN 1,000 POUNDS. STAFF CONSIDERED HIM THE KING OF THE BREEDING MARSH. BECAUSE OF HIS SIZE. HE WAS BORN AT GATORLAND AND STAFF ESTIMATE HE’S AROUND 60 TO 70 YEARS OLD, AND WHILE HE LIVED IN GATOR PARADISE, HIS LIFE WASN’T ALWAYS EASY. HE’S HAD TO FIGHT OVER TERRITORY, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS AND FIGHT OVER FEMALES AND, YOU KNOW, TRY TO MAKE HIS WAY IN TO MAKE SURE HE GETS ALL THE FOOD. AND HE HONESTLY HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT. SO IT’S, YOU KNOW, IT’S A, IT’S A SAD DAY FOR GATORLAND TO LOSE ANOTHER BIG GATOR KNOWN AS ONE EYED KYLE COULD BECOM
Buddy, one of Florida’s biggest alligators, dies of old age
Gatorland’s largest alligator, known as Buddy, has died of old age, park officials said.Buddy measured about 13 feet, 8 inches long and weighed more than 1,000 pounds. He was born at Gatorland in Orange County, Florida, and lived to be between 60 and 70 years old. Buddy was a dominant presence in the park’s breeding marsh for decades, according to Gatorland gator expert Brandon Fisher.”As long as I’ve been at Gatorland … he’s always been the king in our breeding marsh,” he said.That size and status took years to achieve, and it also required constant competition to maintain control.”He’s had to fight over territory over the years and fight over females and try to make his way in to make sure he gets all the food,” Fisher said. “It’s a sad day for Gatorland to lose a big animal like that.”With Buddy gone, attention is turning to which alligator might take his place in the breeding marsh and be crowned the new “king.””The one in particular is named One-Eyed Kyle,” Fisher said. “He might be slightly longer, but we haven’t been able to get a tape measure on him.”But other alligators may also compete for control of the territory.”Now that the king is gone, there’s somebody who’s got to take over that territory,” he said. “It’s kind of like a reality show here. We’ll see how it goes on.”
Gatorland’s largest alligator, known as Buddy, has died of old age, park officials said.
Buddy measured about 13 feet, 8 inches long and weighed more than 1,000 pounds. He was born at Gatorland in Orange County, Florida, and lived to be between 60 and 70 years old.
Buddy was a dominant presence in the park’s breeding marsh for decades, according to Gatorland gator expert Brandon Fisher.
“As long as I’ve been at Gatorland … he’s always been the king in our breeding marsh,” he said.
That size and status took years to achieve, and it also required constant competition to maintain control.
“He’s had to fight over territory over the years and fight over females and try to make his way in to make sure he gets all the food,” Fisher said. “It’s a sad day for Gatorland to lose a big animal like that.”
With Buddy gone, attention is turning to which alligator might take his place in the breeding marsh and be crowned the new “king.”
“The one in particular is named One-Eyed Kyle,” Fisher said. “He might be slightly longer, but we haven’t been able to get a tape measure on him.”
But other alligators may also compete for control of the territory.
“Now that the king is gone, there’s somebody who’s got to take over that territory,” he said. “It’s kind of like a reality show here. We’ll see how it goes on.”
