One of Florida’s shameless alligators tried to take over a fire station while its crew was out on an emergency call.
The discovery was made around 6 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Station 85, just east of Orlando, according to the Orange County Fire Rescue Department.
A comical photo shows the alligator was hoping to go unnoticed by hiding under a vehicle in the parking lot. However, it was too long, leaving its head in plain view.
“The gator was noticed by rescue personnel upon returning to the station from an emergency call,” Lt. Alfredo Roque told McClatchy News. “We estimated the gator to be approximately 7 to 8 feet.”
Adding to the eerie discovery: The alligator remained motionless for nearly three hours, despite station personnel circling the vehicle for a closer look.
The first responders — who have pretty much seen it all — were not shocked, surprised or unnerved, Roque said.
“I would say it is not unusual due to the number of ponds in the area and throughout Central Florida,” he said.
A trapper under contract with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission eventually removed the gator. Its fate was not revealed.
As for the truck, it belongs to a firefighter assigned to the station. It was not damaged by the alligator, Roque said.
Alligators are found in waterways throughout all 67 Florida counties and males are known to wander during mating season (May and June) in search of females.
Maps show the fire station has small ponds on two sides, with larger bodies of water not far behind it, suggesting the alligator may have been in search of a romantic rendezvous.
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