Florida Giant Alligator Latest Update: 'Humpback' Gator Is Not For Tourists, Nature Preserve Staff Warn [VIDEO]

A video of a massive alligator walking through a reserve near Lakeland, Florida, had people speculating earlier this week whether it was a hoax. In the end, the video turned out to be real, and now people are taking trips to the area to see the great alligator named, “Humpback,” for themselves.

The video, which was uploaded Sunday to Facebook by Florida resident Kim Joiner, shows the massive reptile appearing out of a nearby bush at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County and then casually walking on the reserve's Marsh Rabbit Run. Bystanders have since been seen flocking to the area to take pictures of the now-famous reptile, ABC News reported.

Officials for the county's natural resources division said that while they appreciate the attention the nature reserve has been getting, they are also worried about the safety of visitors and wildlife.

“We’re really nervous about people being foolish and doing things they shouldn’t do," said Jeff Spence, director of Polk County Natural Resources, at a news conference Wednesday. "We don’t want people just going wherever they can go to try to get a picture of this."

One individual was even asked to leave by park officials after he "jumped off a viewing platform and ran back to a piece of land that was not a trail just so he could try to get a photograph of this gator,” Spence said.

The 12-feet-long alligator has "lived his life out here, and we want him to live the remainder of his life out here," Spence said. "We don't want to have to destroy him because somebody was doing something they should not have been doing."

Despite the reserve’s newfound fame, park regulations have not changed. Visitors are still required to stay on the trails. They are not allowed to approach nor feed any animals they encounter, Spence said.