Florida: Police drive alligator back to lake after it wandered near a CVS and Speedway gas station
An amusing story comes from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, which wrote about an incident on Facebook: an alligator was driven back to a lake after made a trip to a CVS and speedway.
“YOU DON’T SEE THAT EVERYDAY!” it exclaimed Sunday, posting a video of the gator.
The reptile, the sheriff’s office explained, “decided to take a trip to CVS and then a Speedway Gas Station in Brandon before Deputies Lehman, Fluellen and Grikenas along with Master Sergeant Massaro gave him a ride home.”
photo Brandon Jones
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office posted video onto its Facebook page and twitter page of the unique catch-and-release. The sheriff’s office included several hashtags, among them “#gatortaxi” and “#onlyinflorida.”
Earlier this month, authorities captured and killed an alligator that they believe fatally attacked a woman while she was out walking her dogs near a Florida lake in Davie.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said in a statement that a necropsy confirmed the gator bit the woman and they believe she is dead. WSVN-TV reported that a human arm was found inside the alligator.
Alligators are opportunistic feeders that will eat what is readily available and easily overpowered. Feeding wild alligators is illegal because they could lose their fear of humans.
Fatal attacks on humans remain rare.
They are particularly active during their mating season in May and June.
