If cats are said to have nine lives, how many might you figure an alligator has?  Well, in the case of a particular alligator in Poteet, Texas, the answer appears to be at least two.  Joanne Harden of Mortellaro’s Nursery, Inc. in Schertz shares the following story about an alligator that clearly was not ready to “swim with the fishes.”

“We had a call from Poteet that there was an alligator in our tank.  Joe and James (Harden) went to Poteet, and since livestock was endangered, James shot the alligator.  Of course, everyone had to have their ‘Mick Dundee’ photo op.  However, when the ‘dead’ alligator was brought back to our Schertz office so everyone could see him, and when we put him on the front walk for a photo shoot, it turns out he was not so dead after all.  Joe could not believe he had been handling that live alligator. He was up on his feet hissing with jaws open.  James then killed him again, put him in our cuttings cooler, and when Jim came back with Cub Scouts at

9:00 P.M., the gator was still breathing!”

We are told that in true Texas style, the gator is now off to a taxidermy shop to be stuffed.  Let’s hope he’s actually dead this time!