When a Giant Alligator Takes Over a Golf Course

Last week, tourists stumbled upon an unexpected player on the green at a golf course in Palmetto, Florida: a massive alligator nearly five meters long.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" one stunned spectator asked a friend, as the giant creature ambled down the course. "It must be two people in a costume. It can't be real."

Another visitor exclaimed, "This is the biggest alligator I've ever seen. It's just a monster."

As the group marveled at the sight, one of them began recording the spectacle: an enormous alligator leisurely strolling across the pristine grass. The video quickly went viral online.

"I realized pretty quickly that the gator wasn't looking to bother anyone," explained Charles Helms, who filmed the alligator. Helms gathered from a brief chat with onlookers that this alligator frequently appears on the golf course and is considered the place's 'mascot'. "You soon understand that humans aren't on his menu," Helms elaborated.

"He doesn't bother anyone, and no one bothers him," added an employee of the golf course, who was also interviewed. "He's not new here at all... for people visiting our golf course, he's the main attraction."

It should be noted that alligators are common in Florida: estimates suggest there are over a million alligators living in the state’s lakes and swamps. However, most don't regularly roam sports fields.