7-foot alligator ‘trespassing’ in South Carolina neighborhood gets wrangled by police

Police detained a seven-foot alligator Thursday for hanging around a Lowcountry neighborhood, meandering through private property.

“A resident in Carolina Bay encountered a trespasser this morning,” Charleston Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Police and animal control officers found the “7 foot offender” hiding between two houses in the Carolina Bay community, looking like an incapable AC repairman, photos shared by CPD show.

Cornered, the gator is turned to the officers, jaws wide open.

“Wow, it looks MAD!!!” a user commented on the post.

One officer tries to wrangle the alligator with a pole, while another wields a ladder as a blocker between the upset animal and everybody else.

Eventually, officers were able to capture the suspect.

“He was detained and released to an out of the area location with a harsh warning,” CPD said.

Commenters were happy the alligator got out of the neighborhood unharmed.

“Thank you for releasing and not shooting! Poor guy or gal was probably relieved to get out of the neighborhood,” one wrote.

Alligator encounters are relatively common in South Carolina, particularly in the Lowcountry, but it’s important not to get too comfortable around them, experts warn, for their safety as much as your own.

In two separate incidents this spring, golfers hit unlucky balls that came to rest on top of alligators at S.C. courses, the Island Packet reported. Both men wisely decided not to hit their shots from where they landed.

This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 4:34 PM with the headline "7-foot alligator ‘trespassing’ in South Carolina neighborhood gets wrangled by police."