This made the Miami Herald and the evening news today:
'Very large' gator collared on U.S. 441
By WALTER MICHOT AND ERIKA BERAS
A Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer pulls an alligator near U.S. 441 just under the Turnpike overpass on Tuesday morning.
Why did the alligator cross the road? Cops don't know, but authorities collared the seven footer Tuesday morning after a half-hour standoff that slowed traffic to a crawl on U.S. 441.
The gator was spotted about 7:15 a.m. at U.S. 441 and Bailey Road. The reptile was seen by construction workers, who called 911, bringing the Broward Sheriff's Office on the scene.
A sheriff's deputy grabbed a bullhorn and admonished the alligator to ``Move back! Move back!''
The alligator didn't exactly obey, although it did eventually meander about 100 feet or so. It migrated from the pavement of U.S. 441 to the sidewalk along the busy road. Traffic was reduced to one lane as the alligator stood its ground.
''It's very large,'' said BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. ``At one point, it was next to a BSO motorcycle deputy and it was bigger than the motorcycle.''
Finally trappers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and captured the animal with a snare-like device. They taped its mouth shut, hoisted it into the back of a pickup truck and traffic resumed.
By WALTER MICHOT AND ERIKA BERAS
A Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer pulls an alligator near U.S. 441 just under the Turnpike overpass on Tuesday morning.
Why did the alligator cross the road? Cops don't know, but authorities collared the seven footer Tuesday morning after a half-hour standoff that slowed traffic to a crawl on U.S. 441.
The gator was spotted about 7:15 a.m. at U.S. 441 and Bailey Road. The reptile was seen by construction workers, who called 911, bringing the Broward Sheriff's Office on the scene.
A sheriff's deputy grabbed a bullhorn and admonished the alligator to ``Move back! Move back!''
The alligator didn't exactly obey, although it did eventually meander about 100 feet or so. It migrated from the pavement of U.S. 441 to the sidewalk along the busy road. Traffic was reduced to one lane as the alligator stood its ground.
''It's very large,'' said BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. ``At one point, it was next to a BSO motorcycle deputy and it was bigger than the motorcycle.''
Finally trappers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and captured the animal with a snare-like device. They taped its mouth shut, hoisted it into the back of a pickup truck and traffic resumed.
Now, I'm sorry, but any true Floridian knows that a 7 foot gator ain't large. Hell, it's still a baby! A 14 footer...now THAT would've been LARGE!
6 comments:
I was gonna say... only 7 feet? Pretty scrawny! We get mostly 12-15 feet around here.
Why did the gator cross the road to prove to the armadillo it could be done.
Come on you being from Texas that funny.
Oh and I did NOT cheat did have to yet. Insect rash.
"Insect rash"?????
Who you calling "insect rash"???
Ya know, sometimes I'm really happy that I live in Michigan. Deer scare easily.
LOL! I had to laugh when I read your comment after the story. That's EXACTLY what I was thinking when I read the 7-ft part. We used to see a truly big one occasionally crossing the road in St Marks. Now we mostly see babies and 'teeners'.
I love this time of year when all the new babies start coming out... with Momma not far behind, of course.
You mean Move Back! didn't work? Funny!
I remember hiking in Texas and coming up on some gators in the water below a low bridge. It was so cool and a little scary. :)
I'm still looking for the gators up here, maybe someday. :)
Post a Comment