'Living amongst dinosaurs': Golfer cruises beside 10-foot gator with tooth stuck in jaw

A round of golf in Florida took a "prehistoric" turn when a massive alligator lumbered across the fairway with what appeared to be a tooth stuck in its jaw.

Golfer Chris Hulback was playing at the Rotonda Golf & Country Club Palms Course in Rotonda West, Fla., on March 23, when he spotted the 10-foot-long gator. Hulback decided to film himself getting a little bit closer to investigate. 

"In Southwest Florida especially, we are living amongst dinosaurs when we see them that big," Hulback told USA TODAY. "There's something really fun about it."

What happened?

The alligator was heading across the fairway between holes 10 and 11, WFLA reported. 

Hulback drove his cart closer to the alligator as it slowly moved across the green and noticed the gator may have had a 4-inch tooth caught in its jaw. 

"They don't have quite the advantage on land, so I wasn't overly concerned about the alligator," Hulback said. "No reason to harm him whatsoever. He was here long before I was here."

Between the gator being on land and the tooth stuck in its jaw, Hulback told USA Today that it was clearly indicative of alligator mating season, which typically runs between April and June. This time of year is when male gators are particularly aggressive with one another, hence the tooth. While attacks remain rare, the chances of spotting a large gator tend to rise this time of year, especially near ponds and waterways.

Why does it matter?

In Florida, neighborhoods, golf courses, and other developed spaces often overlap with wetlands and manmade ponds that alligators use. Sightings like Hulback's are tied in part to how people build and spend time in habitats these animals already occupy.

Hulback told USA Today he did not intervene with the gator, nor did he call public officials. 

Spring can be an important time to exercise extra caution near water and keep pets away from shorelines. If an alligator appears to threaten people, pets, or property, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises calling its Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR.

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