MACON, Ga. (WPGA/Gray News) – An alligator sighting outside of a McDonald’s in Georgia gained a lot of attention over the weekend after residents took it upon themselves to help capture it.
The 12-foot alligator was found outside of a McDonald’s on Rocky Creek Road in Macon on Sunday.
After videos and pictures of the animal began to gain popularity on social media, more and more people went to see it for themselves.
Alexus Sparks, her friend, Acacia Rene, and Lord D’Andre were among those who went to the McDonald’s to see the gator.
Rene even started a Facebook Live to share what they were seeing that afternoon.
“People came up and they were like, ‘We just left your live video. Everyone just came out to see the gator to make sure it got caught,” Rene said.
The group worked together to help wrangle the gator, as they said law enforcement hadn’t yet assisted.
“I threw my jacket over it, he put the slipknot over his neck and then I grabbed the back of the string and walked him like a pit bull,” D’Andre said.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said it was called Sunday at about 4:40 p.m., responding with the Department of Natural Resources.
Authorities were assisted by a gator trapper who was able to remove the animal from the area.
“The community really did come together,” Rene said.
“I was outside for like an hour-and-a-half today, and at least seven people came up to me and said, ‘The alligator man!’” D’Andre added.
Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Linda Howard said animal control discourages such actions by residents when it comes to handling gators due to the potential dangers.
“Citizens put themselves at risk of being attacked or injured by the alligator,” she said. “The alligator became a threat when they decided to capture it with no plan for where and how they were going to relocate it.”
Howard said the sheriff’s office hadn’t experienced a situation like this before.
“We have answered several calls for alligator removal, but never one like this. We would like to ask people to please stay away from wildlife, no matter what it is, and notify the sheriff’s office so that we can get the appropriate people there for removal,” Howard said.
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