PINELLAS PARK, Fla (WFLA) – Pinellas Park Police were called to check on something suspicious along US Highway 19 Tuesday morning.
What they found, was an alligator trying to cross the road.
“This morning the police department received two phone calls from concerned citizens. Sure enough, officers found an alligator, and it had reached more further West, by our Park Side Mall and US 19 area,” said Sgt. Roxanne Pohl with the Pinellas Park Police Department.
Tuesday’s gator was cleverly caught by an officer with the department’s K-9 unit. The officer improvised and used a leash to wrangle in the gator.
“A couple of the officers will keep a leash that we utilize to hopefully, safely hold animals, should we find them lose, usually a dog. Might not have dealt with a larger alligator, if that was the case but in this case, the alligator was about two to three feet long, so it was a baby,” said Sgt. Pohl.
Shortly after the morning capture, the department playfully joked about the incident in a post, on their Facebook page. The department wrote, “Last night, one of our local alligators decided he wanted to try out for a K9 position. Turns out his bite is a little much, so he was kindly released back to his home.”
In the meantime, the alligator was taken to a body of water, east of where it was found. The department warns, that if you happen to cross paths with an alligator, call 911 immediately.
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