Watch as small alligator gets ‘big mad’ when Florida deputies catch it in flowerbed

Strange sounds coming from flowerbeds can be dangerous in Florida, but one homeowner got what some might consider to be an adorable surprise when the ruckus proved to be an alligator about the size of a dachshund.

The discovery was made just before 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, at a home in Seminole, about 25 miles west of Tampa, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Over the weekend, a citizen noticed a peculiar rustling in their bushes but they never expected it to be a gator!” the sheriff’s office wrote in a May 15 Facebook post.

“Though he may be ... little he can still cause a fierce disruption. ... The fella was ‘big mad’ but safely relocated to a nearby pond where he could cool down.”

The alligator was about 3-feet long and found its way into a courtyard, officials said. Video released by the sheriff’s office shows it took two laughing deputies to flush it out of the bushes, including one who was armed with a good old-fashioned broom.

It was caught with a catch pole and marched out of the yard like a dog on a leash. At which point, the deputies had to figure out who would get stuck putting an alligator in their patrol car.

The video had been viewed more than 5,000 times as of May 16 and gotten hundreds of comments and reactions, including many who noted even the smallest of alligators would not be allowed in their car.

Others noted having a juvenile alligator in one’s flowerbed is a uniquely Florida moment.

“Most places have cats up in trees. Here it’s gators. I love it,” Krystal Rae wrote on Facebook.

“He is not getting into my car ... mad or not,” Montel Paige said.

“Awwww he’s too little to be that mad!” Jennifer Ledbetter posted.

This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 7:23 AM with the headline "Watch as small alligator gets ‘big mad’ when Florida deputies catch it in flowerbed."