Video shows 10-foot alligator removed from Jekyll Island resort
Georgia State Patrol troopers successfully wrangled and removed a massive 10- to 11-foot alligator found hiding underneath a parked car at a Jekyll Island hotel after the coastal reptile wandered from its freshwater habitat into a guest parking lot o
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - It is not something Georgia deals with every day. A gator got a little too comfortable at Jekyll Island resort over the weekend.
What we know:
The Georgia Department of Public Safety posted video to its Facebook page of the encounter Saturday morning at a Jekyll Island hotel. State troopers found the 10- to 11-foot alligator hanging out under a car. The troopers were able to wrangle and remove the reptile.
What they're saying:
In the online post, law enforcement officials joked that "apparently even the gators are booking beach vacations now."
"We’d just like to remind everyone that this is Georgia State Patrol… not Florida Highway Patrol. Unfortunately, the alligator on Jekyll Island did not get the memo," the post read in part.
Dig deeper:
Jekyll Island has between 125 and 600 gators and while they primarily stick to the freshwater ponds, they will often venture onto land and have even been found swimming offshore along the beach in the past.
What we don't know:
It remains unknown where authorities relocated the alligator after it was removed from underneath the vehicle. Officials did not disclose the exact name of the Jekyll Island hotel where the encounter took place. It is also unclear how long the alligator had been hanging out under the car before state troopers arrived at the scene.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Georgia Department of Public Safety, who posted a video and statement detailing the encounter to its Facebook page.