A Swiffer duster is an unlikely deterrent for alligators.
For people living in Florida, alligators are a common sight. These big reptiles were once endangered but have since rebounded in great numbers to the point that more and more residents are starting to report nuisance animals in and around their homes. Sometimes they are simply hanging out in the backyard. Much more common is for them to sneak into pools.
Then there are the rare instances where they somehow manage to sneak inside a home. It does not happen often, but when it does, it often leaves residents understandably freaked out. Even if it is a little gator.
Such was the case with this video out of Tampa. Sazan Powers was getting ready to leave a nearby Sam's Club when her friend and next-door neighbor frantically called about an alligator being inside her house. Sazan headed over and the two women then plotted what to do next. They ended up using a rather unusual tool to push the little gator out the door.
Well, chalk that up as something you do not see every day! Using a Swiffer duster may be a rather unusual way to coax an alligator out of your home, but it worked in this instance. This was a best case scenario for any human-alligator encounter. Both humans and the gator were unharmed, and the little reptile went back to its natural habitat. It appears there is a pond just past her backyard, which is likely where the little guy came from.
Although we are curious as to how an alligator sneaks inside a home in the first place. And what motivated it to wander so far from the water. We will never know.
In any case, we got a good laugh out of this video. It is not often you see someone go from being scared of an alligator one minute to yelling about how adorable it is the next!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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