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Gatorland to loan 60 alligators to Texas park damaged by Hurricane Harvey

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Gatorland is loaning 60 alligators to a Texas park that lost about a quarter of its population when Hurricane Harvey hit the state.

The owners of Gator County Adventure Park and Sanctuary in Beaumont, Texas, arrived at Gatorland Saturday to pick up the 60 5- to 6-feet-long American alligators.

Watch: 2,000 alligators prepped for Hurricane Irma at Gatorland

"We are just so fortunate that Gatorland was not heavily damaged and we did not lose any alligators in the storm," said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland. "But even before Hurricane Irma hit Florida, we saw the devastation in Texas from Hurricane Harvey and began looking for ways we could help.”

Read: GATORLAND is new home to 70 animals from closing theme park

According to the owners, Gator Country received a record 52 inches of rain during Hurricane Harvey and lost about 40 of their alligators to the floodwaters.

Gator County owners Gary and Shannon Saurage hope to breed and yield about 100 baby alligators in a year.

Read: Lake at Moss Park closed after 10-year-old girl bitten by alligator

"I think this relationship between us will really set a precedent for alligator parks to come together and help one another,” said Shannon Saurage.