Having a swimming pool in Florida sometimes means sharing with the local animals. If a Mama Duck nests nearby, you might find yourself sharing your swim time with a flock of yellow fluffballs. Or you could be dealing with a more reptilian pool guest. Recently, a St. Augustine, Florida, homeowner had to call the police to wrestle a smallish gator out of their pool.
Videos by InspireMore
The Sheriff’s Deputy who responded made it seem like he does this sort of thing every day. He strolled confidently up to the pool, reached in, and hauled the gator out. The alligator appeared to be three to four feet long when compared to the size of the cop.
Once the deputy had him firmly on the deck, he adjusted his grip and picked up the squirmy baby gator. He may have been small, but they could still do quite a bit of harm if they bite you. Noting his mastery of gator wrangling, one of the residents said, “Obviously, you grew up here.” The Deputy chuckled and answered affirmatively.
The cop easily carried the small alligator out to his patrol car. He slid it into the rear seat and made sure the tail cleared the door. Then he reached up and grabbed the seat belt, stretching it around the gator’s torso and buckling it securely. The little alligator was still quite squirmy, but was safely in the cop car.
Although it doesn’t happen every day, it does happen enough that most cops will handle a small alligator in a pool or garden just like this. They also have protocols for larger gators. Even a small alligator can whip its tail and hit with a lot of force.
Please share if you laughed when he buckled the seat belt.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
