A 12-foot-long alligator that was snapping at cars in the middle of a dark North Carolina road on Friday was persuaded to move on after firefighters used a unique technique: spraying the giant reptile with a hose.
The giant alligator reportedly blocked traffic around 1 a.m. in Boiling Spring Lakes, a town in Brunswick County south of Wilmington.
“This angry intruder was lying in the middle of the road and lunging at passing motorists,” said the Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Department.
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office requested fire department assistance after “deciding that a 12-foot dragon was a little beyond what they could handle on their own,” according to the fire department.
But the firefighters found that even they were no match for the giant alligator – until they tried a different method.
“After an initial attempt to guide the man across the street failed, we resorted to what we did best: draining water,” fire officials said.
The fire department released photos of firefighters spraying the alligator with a fire hose.
“After a gentle rain shower was used to encourage the alligator to retreat, he finally decided he had had enough of civilization for the time being and retreated to his more natural habitat,” the agency said.
The sheriff’s office thanked firefighters for their help and noted that rescuing the “big guy” from the road likely saved his life and that of other road users on the dark road.
