ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputies encountered an "absolute dinosaur" of an alligator Tuesday morning.
Deputies responded to a call from someone reporting a 12.5-foot gator walking along Joe's Creek near 46th Avenue on a path children often take to and from school, according to a Facebook video from the sheriff's office.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trapper was called to help relocate the gator while law enforcement set up a perimeter to keep people away. Deputies can be heard in the video saying "stay" and "good boy" in an attempt to keep the gator in place.
The trapper and several deputies worked to capture the alligator before it was safely relocated to an area in South Florida.
"Remember, this is Florida," the sheriff's office said in the video. "If there's a body of water, chances are good that an alligator is nearby. Always use caution and instruct your children to be vigilant as well."
According to the FWC, alligator sightings are commonplace in Florida, where the animal is found in all 67 counties. Considering the state's population growth and waterfront homes, human interactions with gators have increased in recent years.