Massive alligator caught wandering around at popular Florida mall, video shows

If anyone had a live 12-foot alligator on their Christmas list, it was found at the Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, deputies say.

So far, no one has claimed the 600-pound reptile, prompting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to haul it off.

Video shows it took about eight people to lift the alligator into the back of a truck, including one man who held its large tail like a tree limb.

The removal happened Thursday, Dec. 21, and the team included one sergeant and two deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

“There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County, eh?” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Details of who found the alligator were not released, but it was deemed a threat to people after being encountered behind a Five Below store, the FWC said in a report.

A photo shared by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows it was near a retention pond, which are popular hangouts for Florida’s alligators.

It was relocated alive to Townsend & Sons farm, about 45 miles away in LaBelle, the commission told McClatchy News in an email.

News of a mall gator quickly ignited social media jokes about the dangers of last-minute Christmas shopping. Many commenters also marveled at the alligator’s size.

“What had it been eating in that pond that it managed to get so big!” Diana Woodside wrote on Facebook.

“You can find most anything you want, or don’t want at the mall,” Carol Duva posted.

“Poor thing, all it wanted was to have a tourist over for Christmas dinner,” Michael Harloff said.

Estero is about 145 miles southeast of Tampa.

This story was originally published December 22, 2023 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Massive alligator caught wandering around at popular Florida mall, video shows."