Alligator sightings are common in Texas and Florida. However, just recently, two alligators were spotted making surprise visits to crowded places — a park in Texas and a school in Florida.
An American Alligator walks out of the alligator lagoon at Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead, Florida, on June 24, 2016.
Alligator Visits a Park in Texas
A giant alligator caused a stir after people saw it near Pecan Park in La Porte, Houston, Texas. Locals were worried that the gator might pose a threat to pets and humans nearby.
To bring the gator under control and out of the area it had wandered into, the La Porte Police Department had to call in the professionals. The giant creature appears to have come to La Porte via a bayou and local ditches.
Thankfully, La Porte Animal Control relocated the gator to a more appropriate location in northeast Harris County's Sheldon region.
This incident came two weeks after another alligator was spotted in Humble, Texas. A couple came from a trip and were surprised when they found a gator making its way to their front porch. The woman didn't immediately notice it and was slapped by its tail.
"We pulled up in front of the house here, and when my girlfriend got out, she went to go unlock the door and open the garage door to put my boat in, well there was an alligator on the front porch and he slapped her with a tail," homeowner Jody White told KHOU.
The woman had to go to a neighboring hospital to be looked out, but she was reportedly fine.
6-Foot Alligator Blocks a School in Florida
While the locals in Texas were worried after finding an alligator in a park, another gator made a surprise visit to a school in St. Cloud Florida Monday, Fox35 reported.
The kids and staff at Michigan Avenue Elementary School were stopped at the front door by a 6-foot alligator. Assistant Principal Erin Williams said they spotted the gator after 7 a.m.
According to St. Cloud police officer Stephen Burrows, it was challenging to ensure everyone was safe because the predator was situated outside the cafeteria. The group did their job by capturing the gator using a catchpole and taping its mouth shut.
While the officers were occupied trapping the gator, the principal directed the parents and students to keep away from the alligator. The students watched the encounter safely from a distance.
They also redirected traffic because they were expecting the "arrival" of the students and parents. Some were looking out from the windows of their cars and others were screaming while others were screaming, seemingly cheering on the officers.
The whole incident was captured on a surveillance camera. Williams was very thankful to the school resource officers for their quick action.
Williams said they named the alligator "Zeus" because "he's a big dude!" No injuries were reported by police.
The officers released the gator into a canal off Neptune Rd.
Alligator sightings are more common because it's their mating season. They are more visible during May and June.
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