Alligator rescued in September after social media reports showing her missing upper jaw

Jawlene update (Gatorland Orlando)

Jawlene, the rescued alligator missing it’s upper jaw, is now available for the public to see, officials at Gatorland Orlando announced on Monday.

Gatorland said Jawlene is now “out and about” in their baby gator marsh and “just had her first feeding” in her new location.

“We are ecstatic to report that she is gaining weight, in great health and is able to hang out in our Baby Gator Marsh,” the park’s social media statement announced.

The young alligator is named after Dolly Parton’s popular song “Jolene” and was rescued in September in Sanford after photos of the injured animal circulated on social media. Gatorland announced the totally “jawsome” name after a video posted showed Global Ambassador Savannah Boan and CEO Mark McHugh sharing the groovy news.

Gatorland has spent months nursing her back to health with regular check-ups from their veterinarian in preparation for her public debut.

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Jacob joined ClickOrlando.com in 2022. He spent 19 years at the Orlando Sentinel, mostly as a photojournalist and video journalist, before joining Spectrum News 13 as a web editor and digital journalist in 2021.