Some things have to be seen to believe. Luckily in this case, there’s video footage to prove the story is real.
It all happened when a golfer by the name of Marc Goldstein was playing golf at Pelican Sound Golf and River Club in Florida and a wayward ball landed near a pond. Most golfers in Florida know to use caution around ponds and other bodies of water since alligators are frequently found in these areas. Such was the case with Goldstein who approached the pond with care only to find an alligator in possession of his stray golf ball.
Goldstein was able to capture video of the gator holding the ball in its mouth, before it swam away with his souvenir. He assumed that the young gator must have thought the ball was an egg of some kind and his golfing buddies had a good laugh over his mishap.
Generally alligators won’t attack humans unless provoked, and attacks will consist of one bite followed by a quick retreat. Nevertheless, alligator bites are serious injuries due to the reptile’s sheer bite force and risk of infection. Because of this, any encounter with an alligator should be taken seriously and extreme precaution should be used.
Watch Goldstein’s alligator encounter below.