An enormous alligator of Jurassic Park proportions was caught prowling the grounds of a Florida golf club in Tropical Storm Eta’s gale-force winds.
Tyler Stolting, a pro at Valencia Gold and County Club in Naples, captured the dinosaur-like creature in a truly wild viral video originally posted to the business’s Facebook page.
“I was a little shocked, obviously,” Stolting told the New York Post. “It was pretty big, biggest one I’ve ever seen.” He didn’t feel the need to comment further on the mammoth crocodilian, as the species’ prominent presence in the Sunshine State makes for regular encounters.
His co-worker, head golf pro Jeff Jones even added that neighboring properties had previously reported seeing the beastly gator before it decided to take a walk in winds up to 60 mph.
“I’ve been here a long time and I’m not surprised to see it walking across the golf course, I am a little surprised at how big it was,” Jones said.
The 15-second clip’s virality naturally drew amusing comments on social media. “I have never seen anything like that except in movies,” one Twitter user wrote. “This is one reason I will not retire in Florida.”
“Why is he not wearing a mask? smh,” another said.
Jaw-dropping as the footage is, large alligator sightings on Florida golf courses have made national headlines before. Check out this previous story on a 16-footer that emerged in nearby Palmetto.
And while we’re on the subject, why not watch a horse beat down a gator on a nature reserve in—you guessed it—Florida.
