Huge gator with GPS tracker stops moving, so team searches deep inside Georgia swamp

Concerns are justified when a GPS tracker on a 11-foot alligator stays in one place too long, so researchers had to investigate when a one-eyed alligator mysteriously stood still in Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp.

Turns out the nearly 400-pound reptile, nicknamed Doc, was dead rather than up to mischief, according to the University of Georgia’s Coastal Ecology Lab.

Researchers don’t yet know what killed the dominant male, but answers may be found in the surprising amount of evidence left behind.

“We were hoping to find the tag, but ... we were able to recover much more than just the tag,” the lab posted on Facebook.

“Fourteen (and a half) miles into the swamp we found not only his satellite tag, but roughly 60% of his skeleton, including his huge skull! Because we were able to find so much of his skeleton, we were actually able to reassemble his skeleton.”

At least 3 feet of his spine remains missing, likely due to scavengers feeding on the carcass. This includes other alligators roaming the secluded Mud Lake area of the swamp.

Doc had been tagged with a GPS tracker in April 2021 and was still formidable enough to put up a fight that included growling and hissing. His tracker stopped moving in August 2022, the lab says.

It’s suspected that Doc roamed the swamp for more than 70 years, officials said.

“Doc seems to have been around for a while. This is evident by his numerous misshapen and worn scutes as well as old injuries that have healed,” the lab reported when he was first tagged.

“Doc is missing part of the left front of his snout and has one snaggle tooth that sticks straight out of his upper jaw. He also is missing his left eye, which we think may have played a role in his capture as we approached him from his blindside.”

Concerns about Doc’s health arose in June, when he showed up weighing considerably less than months earlier. It’s unclear what caused the sudden weight loss.

Prior to that, he ranked as the third largest alligator in the lab’s tracking study, including a head that was “about 1.3 times at long as the average bowling pin is tall.”

“We are saddened by Doc’s passing, but are thankful for the data he provided and educational value his skeleton will provide,” that lab said

This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 9:14 AM with the headline "Huge gator with GPS tracker stops moving, so team searches deep inside Georgia swamp."