LSU restores vision in rare white alligator

Victor, a 12-year-old rare leucistic alligator, began to concern caretakers at the Audubon Zoo when they noticed he was not able to see his dinner when it was dangled before him. Robert Maclean, DVM, and his colleague Hilary Householder, DVM, called Renee Carter, DVM, DACVO, at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU Vet Med) to see if she would examine Victor’s eyes.

Carte confirmed after the examination that Victor had an advanced cataract in his left eye with evidence of inflammation. Victor is now also the first alligator known to have cataract surgery which, and based on Carters research for preparation, was never performed in the United States.¹

Victor, the 12-year-old white alligator (Image courtesy of LSU Vet Med)

White alligators are extremely rare, and it is hard to determine how many there are because of the color of their skin, they cannot camouflage like others, making them easy for predators to see and attack.² 

Beginning in February, the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Services, such as the Zoological, ophthalmology, and anesthesia teams, collaborated to help create a plan to treat Victor. After discussions, Victor was sedated and transported by Audubon Zoo clinicians to LSU Vet Med where Javier Nevarez, DVM, PhD, Patricia Queiroz-Williams, DVM, MS, and Householder who were then faced with the issue of how to safely transfer him from his carrier cage for anesthesia. Victor remained sedated until he was fully anesthetized, which gave Carter and the LSU Vet Med team the time to perform the procedure.

To start, the team needed to determine if he was even a good candidate for the surgery. The team performed multiple tests and determined that the retina was functional and still attached, which gave the team the confidence they needed to move forward with the procedure.¹ For alligators, because their eyes are on the top part of their skulls, it made it tricky for the team to get him into a good position for surgery.

“While cataract surgery is typically straightforward in dogs, Victor’s case required us to adapt to the differences in his anatomy and response to medications. There were significant challenges we had to overcome,” Hannah Gafen, DVM, LSU ophthalmology resident, said in the release.¹

Victor's eye prepped and ready for surgery

To perform the surgery, the cataract needed to be removed through phacoemulsification. He also able to remain stable and safely under anesthesia during the operation, which took almost 2 hours to complete. The surgery was a success, and the team was able to also place a temporary fluid port to administer post-operation eye drops to Victor. He had a 2-week recovery in the zoo’s animal hospital before returning to his enclosure with restored vision. Now that he has returned home, his caretakers reported he is returning to his normal behaviors, once again snapping up at his food.

The clinical team at LSU plans to publish their findings in the future

References

1. Victor's Vision: Rare white alligator's vision restored in groundbreaking surgery at LSU Vet Med. News release. Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. March 26, 2025. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/blog/2025/victor_vision.php
2. Audubon Zoo: White Alligator. Audubon Nature Institute. Audubonnatureinstitute.org. https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/white-alligator