Couple checks potential new car for oil leaks — and finds creature lurking underneath
A Florida couple ran into an alligator in the most unexpected of places — under a Ford Mustang at a used car dealership.
It happened Sunday, July 23, in DeFuniak Springs, and Marissa Daugherty says she called the cops for help getting the young gator relocated. DeFuniak Springs is about 80 miles northeast of Pensacola.
“My boyfriend, Jacob, noticed there were spiderwebs on the tires, so he figured the car hadn’t been test driven in a while,” she told McClatchy News.
“He went to check for leaks under the car and popped back up saying, ‘Oh my gosh Marissa.’ I was expecting him to say there was a huge spider under the car, given the spiderweb on the tire. The last thing I expected was that there was an alligator! At first I thought he was joking, but sure enough I looked under the car and there was an alligator just staring right at us!”
It was on the young side — only about 3 feet — but still intimidating as it hid in the shadows, a photo shows.
Alligators are known to use parked vehicles for shade on hot days in Florida. But it’s a habit that can get them squashed, not to mention scare the heck out of car owners.
“I immediately called our local police station to get it relocated, in fear it would run out in the road, or someone else would have a not-so-safe encounter with it,” Daugherty said.
“Once the police got out there, we were able to work together to get it out from under the car. ... It was after hours so the dealership was closed. Once we got him out, the police worked together to hold him down and tape its mouth so it couldn’t harm us. Then they loaded him up in the car and safely relocated him.”
DeFuniak Springs Police shared her Facebook post and thanked the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for helping officers safely relocate the alligator. Its new home was not revealed.
“We never know what we will come across inside the city,” police officials said. “This little guy was just looking for a ride.”
This story was originally published July 27, 2023 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Couple checks potential new car for oil leaks — and finds creature lurking underneath."