A bystander's warning about feeding a wild alligator drew immediate denials from the two people filmed feeding the animal on a community bridge.
"We're not feeding an alligator," they responded, even though they had just been filmed doing so.
Here's what to know
The woman behind the camera shared the footage with Reddit's r/SipsTea community, where she confronts the couple on the bridge.
The 102-second clip shows the full altercation between the couple and the original poster, all while a gator lurked nearby.
(Click here if the embedded video does not appear.)
Commenters quickly streamed in the thread to criticize the couple. One user pointed out the obvious contradiction, writing, "'We're not feeding an alligator' … right after we all saw them feeding an alligator (and they even agreed that it's dangerous to feed alligators)."
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Another joked, "I guess it takes more than 2 brain cells to reason that training a dinosaur to associate humans with food might be a bad idea."
One commenter stressed that the animal should not be treated like a companion, adding, "That 'swamp puppy' would absolutely turn them to chum, it's not their friend, it's not even their pet."
This sentiment was a common theme in the thread, with several users warning that others uninvolved in the encounter could face danger if the alligator learns to seek food from people.
And animals that injure people may be euthanized, regardless of whether they were provoked.
One commenter suggested taking the concern to wildlife authorities, suggesting, "Don't call the cops, call Fish & Wildlife. They don't play around with stuff like this." Another similarly urged the OP to "get someone else to record and then call FWC. No need to engage in a conversation or confrontation. Contact: myfwc.com/contact/."
Where can I learn more?
Feeding wildlife and handling them without proper training can put both the animals and nearby people at risk.
• Boca Raton approved a $100 penalty for feeding iguanas in a 3-2 council vote.
• A Georgia middle school found an alligator leashed to a pole with its mouth taped shut.
• A Georgia boater navigated an alligator congregation, earning approval from the Okefenokee refuge.
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