Girl, 10, 'opens alligator's mouth' after it clamped down on her leg

A 10-year-old girl in Florida has opened an alligator's mouth to free her leg after the animal clamped down on her knee, according to US wildlife authorities.

Yahoo US reports that the girl was swimming in a designated swim area of Lake Mary Jane, Orlando, when the alligator bit her.

She was able to pry open the gator's mouth and remove her leg but sustained several puncture wounds to the back of her knee and lower thigh, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said.

She was treated by lifeguards, taken by family members to a children's hospital and has reportedly since been released.