Alligator in a trash can? Cops get creative trying to catch gator in Florida driveway

An adventure-seeking alligator in a North Florida yard got booted in the most undignified of ways when two deputies weaponized a trash can.

It happened Saturday, July 22, in Palm Coast, when someone noticed a young alligator in their driveway, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The gator was small, about 3 feet in length, but compensated with the attitude of a chihuahua.

“Using slightly different methods ... they utilized a trash can to quickly relocate the gator,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“This not only shows the resourcefulness of our deputies, but also that there’s more than one way to catch a gator!”

Photos show the alligator looked crestfallen as it sat coiled up at the bottom of the trash bin. It was hauled to a nearby canal and released back into the wild.

It was the second time in two days Flagler deputies were called on to remove an alligator in the Palm Coast area. On Friday, July 21, deputies used a catch pole and rope to pull a 5-foot alligator from a drain under someone’s driveway, video shows.

“It looks like we may need to add ‘good with alligators’ as a job requirement!” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Palm Coast is about 60 miles south of Jacksonville.

This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Alligator in a trash can? Cops get creative trying to catch gator in Florida driveway."