A Louisiana sheriff's deputy was rushed to the hospital after an alligator bit his arm. The deputy was helping animal control officers capture the alligator, which had wandered into a backyard in Luling, a small town about 25 miles west of New Orleans.
The animal control officers used a catch pole to try to corral the five-foot-long alligator. When the deputy, who has not been identified, went to tape the reptile's mouth shut, it managed to escape from the pole and latched onto his right arm.
A second officer jumped onto the alligator and pinned it to the ground to keep it from rolling around. They managed to pry the alligator's jaw opened and free the officer, who suffered deep puncture wounds and lacerations. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
A St. Charles Parish Nuisance Animal Officer decided to euthanize the alligator because it had been injured and bit a human.
Photo: Getty Images