A video shows how a police officer in Louisiana wrangled an alligator after residents reported that it had wandered onto their property.
Deputies with the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office came face to face with the reportedly three-foot reptile on Tuesday.
The wild alligator population in Louisiana has risen a lot over the years, increasing from less than 100,000 to more than 2 million in the past 50 years, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. There are also nearly 1 million of the reptiles in farms.
The sheer amount of the animals gives rise to the risk of conflict with humans. The mere presence of an alligator does not necessarily make it a nuisance alligator, and most will move on if left alone, the wildlife department states. However, alligators longer than four feet that present a threat to pets, livestock, or humans are considered a nuisance and can be removed by licensed hunters-or sheriff's office deputies in this case.
In the video shared to Facebook by the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, officers can be seen surrounding an alligator as it lies next to what appears to be a residential swimming pool.
One officer can be seen kneeling over the alligator in an attempt to restrain it with his legs and hands. The alligator puts up a serious fight, twisting and turning beneath the officer who struggles to keep it under control. "He's strong," someone says in the clip.
20K views, 279 likes, 14 loves, 118 comments, 133 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office: ***VIDEO*** Gator Wranglers Deputies with the Bossier Sheriff's Office donned a...
Soon, one of the officers attempts to pick up the alligator, apparently to remove it from the property. However, this approach proves impossible as the reptile struggles out of the officer's hands and slams to the floor, at which point the officer places his foot on it.
"I think I'd stand in front of a bullet before I'd wrestle with that thing," someone says from behind the camera.
Eventually, the officers can be heard requesting a dog kennel to keep the reptile contained, at which point the clip ends.
"Many of our animal calls range from loose livestock, horses, and dogs, and sometimes alligators," Sheriff Whittington said in a statement posted to Facebook. "Our deputies just have to be prepared for almost any call that comes in, because you never know what the day will bring."
Although not shown in the video, the sheriff's office said the alligator was safely subdued, removed from the property, and released into the Bodcau Wildlife Management area in the town of Benton.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries states that it is dangerous and illegal for the general public to handle or possess alligators and people should not attempt to move them if they're seen in a roadway, yard, or other unexpected place.
Safety tips, including not allowing small children to play unsupervised in or around water and not swimming at night or during dusk or dawn, can be found on the department's website.
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