Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office recently assisted in capturing an alligator that was obstructing a pathway commonly used by children on their way to school.
The sheriff’s office posted a video on Instagram detailing the incident. “Deputies received a call yesterday morning from a citizen reporting a large gator was on a pathway that kids walk through as they travel to and from school,” the caption read.
Per 10 Tampa Bay, the video shows the sizable alligator strolling down the road.
In the footage from the original Instagram post, an officer can be heard instructing the alligator to stay still. When the reptile complies and lies down, the officer praises it like a dog, saying, “Good boy. That’s a good boy.”
The caption accompanying the video noted, “PCSO maintained a perimeter to keep citizens away and even used newfound alligator whispering skills to keep the big guy in the area.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was called, and officers stayed to assist in wrangling what the post described as an “absolute dinosaur.”
The video shows one person sitting on top of the alligator while another grabs its jaws as it hisses at them. The people wrap the gator’s jaws in several layers of tape to ensure that it can’t snap at them.
“An FWC-contracted alligator trapper arrived and did their work assisted by several deputies that were a bit fearful but willing,” text included in the video said.
After the alligator was safely contained, deputies measured it and found it to be 12.5 feet long, according to the post.
The video concludes with a safety reminder: “Remember this in Florida — if there’s a body of water, chances are good that an alligator is nearby. Always use caution and instruct your children to be vigilant as well.”
The alligator was relocated to the southern part of Florida.