An alligator blocking Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday met its match when a young wrangler showed up at the scene.
Officials with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office requested additional help when the alligator decided to hang out in the middle of the roadway, News4JAX reported on Tuesday.
Video footage shows law enforcement officers surrounding the alligator with their vehicles. However, the creature then crawls underneath a patrol vehicle, apparently trying to continue on its way or hide from the flashing lights.
Approximately ten minutes later, an alligator wrangler armed with a catch pole catches the animal and drags it out from underneath the vehicle.
The video clip shows the alligator opening its jaws in protest as it is pulled away from the car. The animal then flails its body back and forth, working hard to free itself from the catch pole around its neck.
However, the wrangler is able to subdue it and sit on top of the animal. The clip then shows a little boy approach the alligator and tape its mouth shut.
“News4JAX has learned the boy comes from a family of alligator trappers. The wrangler loaded the gator in the trunk of his car where it curled up inside the trunk,” the outlet said.
In March, an alligator attacked a fisherman in Leesburg, Florida, and bit off his hand, Breitbart News reported. Officials later shot the creature, which was labeled a “nuisance gator.”
An image shows emergency crews tending to the victim:
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligators have lived in Florida for centuries.
“In recent years, Florida has experienced tremendous human population growth. Many residents seek waterfront homes, and increasingly participate in water-related activities,” the agency said. “This can result in more frequent alligator-human interactions, and a greater potential for conflict.”