Remains Of Oscar The Alligator

Waycross, Georgia

Oscar was the largest-known alligator in Georgia. When Oscar died in Okefenokee Swamp in 2007, Park officials found to their dismay that they did not have the budget to stuff him. Instead, Oscar's body was left outside to be eaten by insects. His inedible remains are now slowly being reassembled by a local college professor, working from a 1915 anatomy book.

Oscar's bones are encased in a clear plastic display shaped like an alligator, allowing a good view of the ancient shotgun pellets that are still embedded in his skull. Oscar's stomach contents -- which were planned to be displayed next to his bones -- reveal that he had eaten part of a flagpole and at least one pet dog.

The tenacity of the Okefenokee folks is a fitting tribute to their scaly, long-lived lizardy pal.