A large, possibly “hangry,” alligator chased customers around a Wendy’s parking lot yesterday, says authorities.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened Monday afternoon in Lehigh Acres, which is just east of Fort Myers.
No one was injured, but the 7-foot alligator was eventually captured across the street at the Lehigh Acres Health & Rehabilitation Center by a trapper with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, says the agency.
“He may have just been ‘hangry’ for a cheeseburger, but he gave many quite the scare,” said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter.
GATOR CHASE🐊
— Lee County Sheriff’s Office (@SheriffLeeFL) May 17, 2021
Deputies responded to Lee Blvd today after this 6-ft gator chased pedestrians through a Wendy's parking lot.
He may have just been "hangry" for a cheeseburger, but he gave many quite the scare!
Alongside FWC, we wrangled the gator and safely relocated it. pic.twitter.com/OIiDHCmMJC
The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue Division also joked on Twitter that they may be experiencing a “slightly delayed response time” leaving the rehab facility.
In other #Florida news, we’ll be experiencing a slightly delayed response time leaving Lehigh Acres Health & Rehab 😆🚒🐊 pic.twitter.com/9cPykAwxo8
— Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District (@LehighAcresFD) May 17, 2021
The incident is a good reminder that it's now May, which means alligator mating season is officially here until the end of June. So, for the next month or two be on the lookout for gators looking for love, or square hamburgers.
It's been a very active mating season so far for Florida gators. Last week, a video emerged showing a gator aggressively chasing a fisherman near the Everglades. The Tampa area has also had gators under cars, and removed from yards with brooms.
But if you come across any alligator where it's not supposed to be, feel free to contact the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.
Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter to get the most up-to-date news + views. Subscribe to our newsletter, too.
