While the American Alligator is a common sight in lakes and swamps across the south-west, a unique crocodilian from Houston, photographed swimming undaunted despite a knife sticking out of its skull, is winning internet fame.

Although these fearsome-looking beasts can easily ruin a poodle-owner’s day, they rarely ever attack humans, suggesting that the animal was likely attacked first. This has left a number of people angry and concerned for the creature’s well-being, after photos began to make the rounds online on Friday.

“I want to get help for this alligator. I don’t want to see an alligator swimming around with a knife in its head and suffering,” Erin Weaver, the woman who snapped the photo, told CNN affiliate KTRK.

Despite concerns, the creature is probably not in immediate danger. Alligators are extremely resilient animals: with their armor-like outer shells and antibiotic blood, it would likely take more than one jab with a kitchen knife to kill one of these rugged beasts.

A Texas wildlife agency said they would seek out and try to help the animal next week, but in the meantime, the durable reptile has made a lot of fans on Twitter.

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The gritty gator was particularly popular for those who saw him as the perfect representative of the rugged state of Texas. Move over longhorn, there’s a new contender for official state animal: the Texas unicorn.

While there are no suspects yet in the presumed inter-species attack, this lake-dweller’s new-found fame might mean that whoever did stab it will have a lot more to worry about than one angry gator.

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