Crowd Cheers as Florida Man Removes Baby Gator From Park's Swimming Area
A Florida man saved the day for swimmers at Wekiwa Springs State Park on May 7, when he removed a baby alligator from the water.
Footage shot by Ashley Rodriguez shows her husband Justin lifting the tiny gator out of the swimming area as other parkgoers watched and cheered him on.
Ashley told Storyful that they were at the springs in Apopka, Florida, celebrating Mother’s Day when they "heard people screaming and getting out of the water.
“That’s when we saw the alligator, he was on the other side of the springs,” she said.
She said that park rangers tried using a net to remove the reptile, but with that attempt unsuccessful, Justin asked them if it would be okay for him to try to catch the gator.
According to Ashley, Justin asked the rangers if he would get in trouble or be fined if he moved the alligator, due to the laws that protect the species in Florida.
Ashley said that rangers indicated that her husband would not be fined for his intervention.
However, her husband was convinced that “the gator couldn’t figure out how to get back to the river on its own,” so he decided to walk the reptile over to a more suitable place.
“Justin was able to release him back into the river away from people in the swimming area,” she said. Credit: Ashley Rodriguez via Storyful
Video Transcript
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[CHEERING]
[CLAPPING]
- Put him on the other side of the bridge.
- Up here.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Yeah.
- Let the park rangers--
- Oh, I asked him first. I'm like if I catch him, are you going to fine me? He's like nope, you get him.
- Yeah, [INAUDIBLE].
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Oh my gosh, it looks so cute.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Here.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
