Watch: Tree crashes into alligator lagoon in Florida
Started in 1893, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is the oldest continuously operating alligator farm in the United States. The city is considered to be the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the U.S. and was founded in 1565.
Watch: Tree crashes into alligator lagoon in Florida
A massive oak tree toppled into an alligator-filled lagoon at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park on Wednesday, and park staff say it's nothing short of a miracle that no animals or people were injured during the unexpected act of Mother Nature.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A massive oak tree toppled into an alligator-filled lagoon at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park on Wednesday, and park staff say it's nothing short of a miracle that no animals or people were injured during the unexpected act of Mother Nature.
The sprawling tree, believed to have been damaged by a recent lightning strike, collapsed during the overnight hours into the heart of the park’s main alligator exhibit, where dozens of large alligators are housed.
Despite the dramatic damage, none of the park’s more than 800 alligators or crocodiles were harmed.
Park officials confirmed that there was no structural damage to fences or other barriers, which serve as important safeguards that prevent the reptiles from attempting to escape.
While escapes are rare, there have been occasions throughout the park's long history of
Tree nearly crushes alligators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Florida.
(St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park / FOX Weather)