A 12-foot alligator that spent two days near a McDonald’s parking lot in Mason, Georgia, has been safely relocated to a more secluded area.
Fast food fans first spotted the massive reptile near the drive-thru on Sept. 26, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office via 13WMAZ.
Even after two days, the gator remained close to the restaurant, drawing the attention of bystanders who attempted to handle the animal themselves. The untrained “alligator wrestlers” tried to duct tape its mouth shut, prompting law enforcement to step in. Officers from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office safely moved the alligator away from the public.
Video footage shared by CBS affiliate 13WMAZ shows the alligator rolling several times on the asphalt before officials secured its jaws with cloth and ropes.
Mandy Jackson, a McDonald’s employee, told the outlet that the gator had been lingering around the restaurant for two days.
“It’s not going to be the first alligator, and it’s not going to be the last,” she said. “But I think the alligator is hungry!”
No injuries were reported among onlookers, emergency personnel, or the animal. Authorities are relocating the gator to a private pond in Laurens County, according to KHOU 11.
Captain Linda Howard of the sheriff’s office expressed concern over the public’s approach to the wild animal.
“I have not seen a reaction like this where people are so curious they try to capture a gator themselves and put themselves in harm’s way,” Howard said, per 13WMAZ. “They decide they’re going to tape the gator’s mouth and take selfies — that’s very dangerous.”
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources emphasizes that humans should never feed or approach alligators. Feeding, harassing, injuring, or removing wildlife, including alligators, is against the law.
