Mar 20, 2009 6:55 am US/Pacific
Meet Miami's 'RoboCroc'
Four Steel Plates Were Used To Reconstruct The Jaw
MIAMI (CBS) ―
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Four steel plates, attached with 41 screws, were used to re-construct the crocodile's skull.
Ron Magill/Miami Metrozoo/CBS
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Dr. Douglas Mader and the veterinary staff at the Miami Metrozoo work on the injured American Crocodile.
Ron Magill/Miami Metrozoo/CBS
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The operation to repair the injured croc's skull took several hours. Even with the steel implants, the animals chances of survival are grim.
Ron Magill/Miami Metrozoo/CBS
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Dr. Douglas Mader examines one of the steel plates he used to re-constructed the injured animals jaw.
Ron Magill/Miami Metrozoo/CBS
An American Crocodile that was run over by a car last year is now affectionately being called "Robo Croc" by his surgeons.
On Tuesday, a team of veterinarians spent four hours attaching metal rods to the endangered crocodile's head at Miami MetroZoo's veterinary hospital.
The vets installed four steel plates with 41 screws into the crocodile's skull in a procedure that's amazing zoo professionals.
"I've been at the zoo 30 years and it's one of the most incredible procedures I've ever been a part of," said Ron Magill, spokesman for Miami MetroZoo.
That's because the 250-pound American Crocodile measuring 10-feet, 2-inches long had been left for dead in the Keys on Dec. 19, 2008, with traumatic injuries: its skull crushed and fractures throughout its body.
Shortly after the crocodile's accident, Florida Fish and Wildlife officials brought it to the zoo.
Eating became impossible as its mouth and snout were severely broken in multiple areas and without treatment it was certain to die.
Without the surgery, the crocodile would have starved.
Dr. Douglas Mader who has expertise in treating reptiles led the team of handlers and vets. Mader, of the Marathon Veterinary hospital in the Florida Keys, donated his time to do something he had never done before: reconstruct an American crocodile's face.
"How often do you get a chance to help an endangered species?" Mader said. "I wanted to contribute."
He said there were difficulties.
"What's challenging is that it's a wild one and there's always a different element of stress and fear," Mader said. "Then you have to wake them up safely and make sure none of the keepers get injured in the process."
But Magill said it's doubtful the crocodile will survive.
"It probably will die, but even if it does the effort that was put into saving it was amazing," Magill said.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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