ORLANDO, Fla. -- A three-alarm fire broke out in one of Central Florida's oldest attractions early Monday morning, killing three animals but injuring no one at Gatorland.

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PHOTOS: New Images From Fire

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Flames were reported at the Gatorland attraction located at 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando on Monday at about 6 a.m.

The blaze charred the concrete alligator mouth tourists walked through to enter the park -- an old Florida icon that has appeared in movies, magazines and countless tourists' pictures.

"A fire of this magnitude would be dangerous to fight in any situation but now you have to throw in the fact that there are dangerous animals inside -- alligators that are more than likely spooked by the commotion," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said.

Gatorland spokeswoman Michelle Harris said two 8-foot-long pythons kept in a holding pen near the gift shop were dead, as was a 5-foot-long crocodile.

Another crocodile named Mr. O, who kept in the same area was feared dead, but was later found alive, she said. He had managed to stay safe by dipping underwater in a pond, Harris said.

"It is a tragedy with these historical structures," Park official Heather Goodwin said. "I'm sure we can get that mouth reconstructed. Granted, it won't be exactly the same but we will have the mouth back."

The fire destroyed the park's 7,000-square-foot gift shop, entrance and some administrative offices. Other office space, and the places where Gatorland entertainers perform were not damaged.

The park opened in 1949 and attracts about 400,000 tourists each year. It features exhibitions of people wrestling gators, a "jumparoo" show where the big reptiles leap for food, and "up close" encounters where guests can hold snakes, scorpions, spiders and birds.

Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Vince Preston said the souvenir store was engulfed in flames when the first crews arrived.

"It had already been through the roof; it was obvious that this was going to be an extended operation," he said.

Preston said it took about two hours to get the blaze under control. It was finally declared out, despite some nagging hot spots, at about 12:30 p.m.

The fire destroyed the park's main entrance and marred its most distinctive feature: a giant, concrete gator head, whose jaw is now blackened with soot and full of debris. The mural facade around it, which had just been given a fresh coat of paint in a $1.5 million overhaul, was torn and burnt. The cypress and palm trees lining the outside were singed and limp.

Harris said the giant gator mouth was still potentially salvageable.

She said officials would try to reopen the park as soon as possible, but it was unclear how quick that may be. They will have to devise another entrance for guests.

"This park is like an old alligator. Gators fight, they get scarred up, they get beat up, they tear each other up, but they're resilient," Gatorland official Tim Williams said.

"This park's been here for 57 years. We're not going anywhere. It's the alligator capital of the world. It's got a few scars and smudges on it, but we'll clean it up."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this breaking news story.