Florida Alligator 'Photobombs' Police Officer's Selfie
Last week, an alligator "photobombed" a Central Florida police officer trying to take a selfie.
The police department shared the hilarious selfie to social media and assured followers that the image was, in fact, real. Though the officer appeared to be unphased by the accidental run-in with the fearsome reptile, some commenters expressed that they wouldn't be so calm if put into the same situation.
The Palm Bay Police Department shared the image to Facebook on Thursday morning. In the foreground of the selfie is a smiling officer; in the background is an alligator struggling to escape a storm drain.
"When you're just trying to take a normal sewer selfie and you get photobombed...[At least he smiled]," said the department.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) were called to the scene and safely removed the gator, which was believed to be stuck inside the drain.
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The department used the post as an opportunity to remind Florida residents to never approach or feed an alligator. Instead, residents should call the FWC's nuisance alligator hotline.
Florida is home to 1.3 million alligators, and while most prefer to keep to themselves, some can present a threat. To keep people safe, the FWC established a statewide nuisance alligator program, which allows authorized trappers to remove nuisance gators from populated areas.
To be considered a nuisance, a gator must be at least 4-feet long and considered to be a threat to people, pets or property.
Hundreds of commenters found Thursday's post wildly entertaining.
"Talk about a Kodak moment! You can't live in Florida without seeing a few of these in your backyard," said one commenter.
"Tell me you live in Florida without telling me you live in Florida," added another.
Of course, some shared that they would be frightened if they encountered a gator.
"I would sell my house," said one commenter.
"I know officers face danger daily, but I would have been like the roadrunner..... outta there," said another.
But this isn't the first time a Florida alligator has been spotted inside of a storm drain.
In December, a jogger in Sarasota encountered a 6-foot alligator lurking near a storm drain in a residential neighborhood. Newsweek reported that it took four Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies to remove the gator from the drain and release it into a nearby lake.
