Sometimes when sheriff’s deputies are called out for unruly neighbors, they don’t walk on two legs.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies wrangled an alligator spotted near some local businesses on Thursday, May 14, according to bodycam video released Saturday.
“Every neighborhood has that one resident, the one who wakes up angry, stares at everyone,” the OCSO’s Facebook post said. “Today it was this guy.”
Watch Osceola County deputies wrangle alligator
The alligator was spotted near some local businesses, the post said. One deputy got a loop around the gator’s head and held on as it rolled frantically across the grass before getting it stable enough to call another deputy to sit on its back and tape its jaws shut.
The alligator was relocated to a safe area, the post said.
Watch for gators, don’t get close
Although alligators are present in every county in Florida, they usually avoid humans. But more frequent alligator-human conflicts are likely as our population and housing rapidly expand, pushing them out of their natural habitats.
It’s also alligator mating season in May and June, when gators will be much more active than usual as they move from lakes and ponds to look for food or new territory. That means more human encounters and more chances of dangerous outcomes, especially around children and pets.
If you encounter an alligator you think will be a threat to people, pets or property, call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1‐866‐FWC‐GATOR (392‐4286) or visit myfwc.com.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Bodycam video shows Florida deputies wrangling unruly alligator
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
