A huge 12-foot, 600-pound alligator was found and captured outside a Florida mall on Thursday, leaving local holiday shoppers shocked.
Deputies removed the massive beast from the entrance of Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, on Thursday afternoon.
A video captured at least half a dozen officers lifting the massive gator and carrying it into the back of a truck.
‘There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County, eh?’ wrote the Lee County Sheriff’s Office alongside the video.
The captured alligator, measuring 12 feet and one inch, was relocated alive to Townsend & Sons Everglades Outfitters, a farm about 40 miles away in LaBelle, Florida, as reported by Miami Herald.
A photo shared by the sheriff’s office featured three officers posing with the massive gator near a storm water retention pond, a common habitat for alligators in Florida.
‘Just moments ago, Sergeant Toslluku, Deputy Cevertus, and Deputy Roedding were called to a 12 foot, SIX HUNDRED POUND gator at Coconut Point Mall,’ the sheriff’s office wrote.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision also responded to the scene in a joint effort, authorities said.
Deputies were shocked by the predator weighing in at a whopping 600 pounds.
‘If you’re chompin’ at the bit to get into law enforcement, we promise excitement and a great workout here at #TeamLCSO,’ they wrote.
The alligator’s presence at the mall has triggered an overwhelming response from social media users.
A shocked user wrote in comments: ‘What had it been eating in that pond that it managed to get so big!!!’
‘Poor thing, all it wanted was to have a tourist over for Christmas dinner,’ another person jokingly said.
Florida is home to an estimated 1.3million alligators, as state officials advise residents and tourists not to bother or feed them.
From 1948 to 2021, 442 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of which resulted in human fatalities.
Over the past ten years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website.
‘The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1million,’ it said.
This article by Dolores Chang was first published by The Daily Mail on 23 December 2023. Lead Image: Three officers happily posed with the massive gator near a retention pond, a common habitat for alligators in Florida.
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