An alligator somehow ended up in a storm drain in Miami. See how it got out
Anyone who lives in Florida knows alligators pop up in the most unexpected places: a gas station, a mall, a homeowner’s doorstep, even a fire station.
Rarely have we seen alligators in storm drains, though. A video Tuesday on local lifestyle page Only in Dade shows a gator that apparently got stuck in one in Westchester.
Set to ominous “Jaws” music, the post explains the reptile had been wedged in there since Friday.
In the comments section, beside the obvious jokes about Florida wildlife, some people expressed genuine concern.
Animal expert Gabby Scampione said she and her partner Chris Gillette of the old reality show “Gator Boys” would try to help get the animal out of this predicament.
Scampione later posted that a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was headed to the drain at the 1700 block of Southwest 102nd Court.
NBC6 reporter Julie Leonardi posted pictures of the team rescue efforts, which involved a crew from Miami-Dade Water and Sewer flushing water into the drain so the alligator could escape, which it eventually did. The drain was then sealed.
The gator, which reportedly returned to the wild, was estimated at around eight feet long. It is unclear how the big guy (or gal) got originally stuck.
Scampione posted an update Tuesday night, saying,”They just saw the gator swim out of the culvert pipe into the main canal and he’s gone! This is best case scenario!!! If anybody end up seeing him again, just contact us, but as of right now he is free.”
So, after a quick fact check of the archives, we realized that while rare, this type of incident does occur in the Sunshine State.
Back in December 2020, a six-footer was trapped in a storm drain in Venice, over in Sarasota County.
Four sheriff’s deputies had to help to free the poor thing that was under a concrete slab.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 2:50 PM.
