ANIMALS
Alligator Found Under Landing Gear At MacDill Air Force Base Wrangled And Relocated
MacDill AFB
An alligator had to be wrangled on Monday after it was found nestled between the wheels of an aircraft on the runway at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
MacDill AFB shared photos of the 10-foot alligator resting in a shady spot under the landing gear of a parked KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft on Monday. The base contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, which dispatched trappers.
A video shared by MacDill AFB shows the FWC officers wrangling the gator with ropes. It thrashes and resists, even after a towel is thrown over its eyes.
Our newest toothy Airman has been relocated to a more suitable environment off base, MacDill AFB said in an update. The alligator was moved to the nearby Hillsborough River.
According to wildlife officials, male alligators often begin roaming into new territory at this time of year in order to find a mate.
Because healthy alligator populations exist in all available habitat in all of Floridas 67 counties, nuisance alligators are typically not relocated to the wild, where their introduction can lead to territorial fights and death, according to the FWC. Nuisance alligators captured by trappers contracted by the FWC usually become the trappers property to sell for hide or meat, or to sell live to a zoo or farm.
While injury or death caused by alligators is rare in Florida, there is significant human-alligator conflict. Nuisance alligators are defined as being over 4 feet long and considered a threat to people, pets or property.
TMX contributed to this article.
