Yes, This Gator in Texas Has a Knife in Its Head

Alligators might take for granted the antibiotic properties in their blood and their tough, thick skulls, but one Texas reptile may be rethinking that attitude. CNN reports on a gator that's been spotted cruising through the waters of a lakeside Fort Bend County community, seemingly just a regular alligator in all ways—save for the giant knife sticking out of its head. "I saw him swimming and then … I saw something sticking out of his head," local resident Erin Weaver says, per KTRK. "It looked like a steak knife that was sticking out of his head, I don't know if it was in his eye, but [it was otherwise] very close to his eye."

Weaver, who has lived in the area for years and says she's never seen an "aggressive" or "defensive" alligator, notes that she took pics of the gator, which she then shared on social media. That's when she found out others had also spotted the creature. "I feel that somebody did this on purpose," Weaver says. "I can't imagine this animal going after somebody that they would have to defend themselves, because we've never had that happen before." A state wildlife agency says it will swing by and check out the alligator next week. The superintendent of Brazos Bend State Park, meanwhile, says he's pretty sure the gator isn't suffering and can go on to live a long, full life. (More alligator stories.)