Officers from the Sunset Beach Police Department in North Carolina received an unusual callout on Friday afternoon when they received complaints about a 6-foot alligator at the business entrance of an outdoor clothing store.
When the officers arrived at the store, Coastal Outfitters, the reptile was hiding underneath a display of camping chairs near the customer entrance.
"Out of concern for the safety of the business owners, customers, and the alligator, it was safely relocated to a nearby pond in Sunset Beach," the police department wrote in post on Facebook.
American alligators can be found along the East coast, from North Carolina to southern Florida and as far west as central Texas. They are mostly found in swamps, marshes, lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds, although they can sometimes find their way into more populated areas.
According to the Sunset Beach Police Department, it is not uncommon to find alligators in yards and other public areas around the seaside town. The police department will only remove them in incidents where they might be a risk to public safety, as was the case here.
"Alligators are dangerous animals," they said in the post. "Do not approach them or allow children to approach them. Alligators can move very quickly over short distances."
The crocodilians can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour in water, although they tend to reach only half that speed on land.
The average size for an American alligator is 8.2 feet for females and 11.2 feet for males, as estimated by the Smithsonian's National Zoo. However, any gator over 4 feet can pose a threat to people, pets and property.
Although alligator bites are rare, they often become aggressive during breeding season (during late spring), or if they have been fed by humans in the past.
"Never feed alligators," the police department said. "Feeding alligators teaches them that humans are sources of food, which could lead to injury or even death. This is especially dangerous in areas where children may be present. Feeding alligators outside of captivity in North Carolina is prohibited by General Statute."
If you see an alligator potentially endangering humans or itself, you should always call in a professional.
The police department's post received hundreds of comments from users.
"Glad no one tried out the beach chairs," said one user, while another said: "I was there a couple of days ago window shopping...like the alligator."
"This makes my heart happy! So glad they released him back to the wild. Gators are not harmful unless threatened and are not aggressive," another user wrote.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
