Environmental Graffiti

Image from Steve Beger

Oscar the alligator, who died at around this time last year, isn’t quite done terrorizing the populace with his 14-foot frame just yet. Park rangers have determined that to honor the beast, they’re going to have him on display, in skeletal form, in a permanent memorial.

Oscar, who had roamed the Okefenokee swamp since 1946, will be on display like a museum dinosaur as a reminder to visitors what sort of creatures roam the southeast Georgia swamps. His display will include the contents of his stomach when he was found, which were a dog collar and tag, a penny, and the top section of a flagpole. There will also be detailed descriptions available of the wounds that will be visible. Several shotgun blasts and rifle bullets failed to stop Oscar over the course of his life as a half-ton reptile. He also had arthritis in the end, all of which will be very evident when he’s placed on display. Park officials say that they’re expecting around 400,000 visitors this year, many of whom will see the former king of the swamp.

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