Thibodaux

All 10 alligators - including Thibodaux - participated in a routine examination which involved blood collection, radiographs and more.

When zoo workers discovered the coins, they acted fast and performed surgery on Thursday, removing the coins from Thibodaux "before they caused any problems".

The zoo said in a statement that X-ray imaging confirmed that the objects were successfully removed, adding that "Thibodaux recovered well from the procedure".

Veterinarians identified "metal foreign objects in the stomach of an iconic resident" - Thibodaux.

"With the help of his training, Thibodaux was anesthetized and intubated to allow us to safely manage him during the procedure," associate veterinarian Christina Ploog, who led the procedure, said in a statement.