Florida man wearing socks and sandals scoops up alligator with recycling cart

The post Florida man in socks and flip-flops scoops up alligator with recycling cart appeared first on AZ Animals.

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A video of a Florida man catching a 5-foot-long alligator in a 64-gallon recycling cart was posted on WESH 2 News’ official YouTube channel, and the video is drawing praise in the comments section.

“Put this brave man in charge of the city’s animal control department now!” one commenter wrote.

American alligator (mississippi alligator) and the state of Florida are closely related. The Sunshine State is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators. As a result, encounters between state-sanctioned reptiles and citizens occur. However, crocodiles are naturally wary of humans and usually run away before humans realize they are there.

But that day, everyone in the neighborhood knew about this man’s lawn problem.

The three-minute video begins with a man wearing a black durag, white T-shirt, black gym shorts, white crew socks and black Adidas slides approaching the alligator with a recycling cart next to it. The alligator is lying in the mulch in this man’s front garden flower bed.

They head toward the opening of the recycling cart — a dark abyss, certainly a threatening sight for the crocodile. The dance begins. The Florida man took it a step or two further. The crocodile responds by opening its mouth and walking backwards a step or two. Forward, back, forward, back.

The man knows that his chance to capture the crocodile is near.

Finally, the man quickly rushes his cart toward the crocodile in an attempt to scoop it up, and the crocodile attempts to fight off its oversized foe. Suddenly, the crocodile felt a threat from behind. This is a recycling cart lid. The crocodile lunges forward, trying to avoid attacks from behind. By doing so, the alligator moves into the cart enough for the man to pull it straight and trap the alligator inside the recycling cart.

Cheers and applause erupt from the assembled audience.

The work isn’t done yet. Across the street is a pond or lake surrounded by lots of bushes, bushes, and grass. This is where the man releases the crocodile. He moves his cart as close to the water as possible. He lifts the blue lid and pushes the cart up the hill, away from the enemy.

Crocodile slowly emerges, surprised by recent events. It slowly gathers direction. The man was a little impatient as he reached out to pull the cart away. In the meantime, the crocodile takes no further chances and sprints to hide under the dense shrubbery surrounding the pond.

Safety tips

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds people that alligators rarely bite people. Nevertheless, it happens. Therefore, be careful in areas where they are known to be found.

• Carefully supervise children when they are playing in and around water.

• Never swim outside of designated swimming areas.

• Swim only during the day. Crocodiles are most active between dusk and dawn.

• Don’t let your pet swim, exercise, or drink in or near bodies of water that may contain alligators.
  Designated swimming area with humans.

• Do not feed or tempt crocodiles. It’s dangerous and illegal. When fed, crocodiles overcome their natural wariness and associate humans with food.

• Observe or photograph crocodiles only from a safe distance.

• Leave the crocodile alone. State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators without a permit.

If you encounter an alligator 4 feet or longer that you believe may pose a threat to people, pets, or property, call FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR (392-4286).

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Click here to watch the video.

The post Florida man in socks and flip-flops scoops up alligator with recycling cart appeared first on AZ Animals.