Britney’s story is a painful reminder that our wildlife deserves far better than what we are giving them and is a tragic loss that exposes how far we still have to go in educating ourselves
Zoo Miami delivered heartbreaking news this week, and frankly, Miami should be outraged. “Britney,” an American crocodile rescued from Key Largo after surviving unimaginable abuse, has died. In a city that prides itself on natural beauty—from the Everglades to Biscayne Bay—we cannot ignore what her death represents. This wasn’t an accident. It was violence. It was cruelty. And it was absolutely preventable.
A preventable tragedy that should never have happened
Britney was brought to Zoo Miami on October 20th with injuries so severe, they sounded unreal—until veterinarians saw them firsthand. She had a spear wound to the skull. A bullet wound to the head. And swallowed metal objects that caused dangerous lead toxicity, meaning someone not only attacked her but left toxins in the environment that continued to poison her.
Zoo Miami’s veterinary team did everything possible. They performed surgery to remove the metal fragments and treated her anemia and trauma. But the damage was already too extensive. Cold-blooded animals like crocodilians struggle with anesthesia, and despite the team’s efforts, Britney did not survive…