Alligator Interrupts Sunday Shopping At Target Store In Florida

An uninvited guest decided to drop by a Target store in Florida on Sunday afternoon, the Miami Herald reported. Shoppers in Jacksonville Beach gathered around outside to see a youthful alligator that had made its way to the department store’s parking lot.

Shopper Heather Schatz posted photos online of the gator, which reportedly huddled into a corner while people gawked at it. The Herald obtained a photo, which can be seen below.

The gator did not seem to pose a threat to anyone in the crowd.

Trappers quickly arrived to restrain it. They said it was probably three or four years old, according to Schatz, who was citing a trapper.

The crowd was reportedly told that the alligator probably came from a pond nearby. The manager of the Target store confirmed the story to the Herald.

Alligators have a habit of making unexpected appearances in the Sunshine State. There have been several sightings of alligators outside their regular habitat in 2018, including a man’s apartment, underneath a pickup truck and in a private swimming pool.

A reason may be that humans have encroached on what used to be alligators’ territory, according to the Key West Aquarium. When humans move into swamplands that the large reptiles call home, they are not going to just leave without at least meeting the new neighbors. They could be hiding in any of the state’s sources of fresh water, meaning safety is a concern for Floridians.

The number of fatalities directly attributed to alligator attacks in the state is fairly low. The widely publicized death of 2-year-old Lana Graves at a Disney resort in 2016 was the 24th alligator killing in Florida since 1973, according to USA Today.