On a quiet Wednesday afternoon in Tallahassee, Florida, drivers got more than they bargained for when an alligator took a midday stroll in the middle of a traffic-filled street.
Traffic backed up and came to a standstill as the alligator took a leisurely stroll. All the cars had to pull over to the side of the road and the onlookers climbed out of their cars to investigate further. It was quite a sight to see!
Local authorities were called to the scene, including a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer who was able to wrangle the alligator and get a long rope around him. As the officer was leading the alligator out of the way of traffic, the alligator started combatively rolling! The officer tightened his grip on the rope, as the alligator was wildly spinning from one side of the road to the other and opening its jaws towards him.
This spinning or rolling action performed by the alligator is known as the “death roll.” Alligators perform this spinning maneuver when they are attempting to overpower and get control of their prey. This particular alligator was trying its absolute best to regain control of the situation and get away from the officer’s grasp!
The officer was able to get the alligator to the side of the road, where more officers were waiting to safely relocate the alligator.
Watch the exhilarating video below!