While the firefighters were responding to an incident, one of Florida’s notoriously brazen alligators attempted to seize control of a fire station.
According to the Orange County Fire Rescue Department, the find was reported at approximately six o’clock in the evening on Saturday, May 13, at Station 85, which is located just east of Orlando.
The amusing picture shows that the alligator was trying to avoid being discovered by concealing itself beneath a vehicle in the parking lot. However, it was excessively lengthy, which exposed the creature’s head view.
“The gator was noticed by rescue personnel upon returning to the station from an emergency call,” Lieutenant Alfredo Roque told McClatchy News. “We estimated the alligator to be somewhere between 7 and 8 feet in length.”
In addition to the unsettling nature of the find, the alligator did not move for close to three hours, despite the fact that officials from the station circled the vehicle to get a better look at it.
Roque reported that the first responders, who had pretty much-seen everything there is to see, did not react with astonishment, surprise, or unease.
“I would say it is not unusual due to the number of ponds in the area and throughout Central Florida,” he added. “I would say that it is not unusual.”
In the end, the alligator was taken care of by a trapper who worked under contract for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Nobody knew what would become of it.
Concerning the truck, it is the property of one of the firefighters who is assigned to the station. According to Roque, the alligator did not cause any damage to the item.
Alligators may be found in the rivers of each of Florida’s 67 counties, and during the months of May and June, when mating season is in full swing, male alligators are known to roam around in search of suitable females.
The fact that there are smaller ponds on two sides of the fire station and larger bodies of water not too far behind it is shown on the maps, which leads one to speculate that the alligator may have been looking for a romantic date.
