TAMPA, Florida — Body camera footage released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows the moments an officer wrangled a small gator that was "borrowed" from a Tampa zoo and put in a hotel bathtub in Orange County.
The alleged theft took place back in September. According to the original report from FWC, one of their officers was sent out to the Grove Resort and Water Park in Winter Garden after reports of a young gator being kept inside a hotel room's bathtub.
Video from the officer shows him arrive at the hotel and speak with the woman who took the alligator, 26-year-old Madison Stephan. Stephan reportedly told the officer she got the animal from Croc Encounters where she used to work.
After the officer explains Stephan's order to appear in court for possession of the animal, he grabs his pole and goes into the bathroom, finding the small gator sitting in the bathtub.
RELATED: FWC: Woman accused of 'borrowing' alligator from Croc Encounters, placing it in hotel bathtub
"Yeah, I really don't want to get bit by a gator. Not today at least," the officer said as he assessed getting the gator safely out of the tub. The officer noted how "docile" the gator was because he was one of the animals used for photo opportunities.
Once the officer got the gator out of the tub, he assured the little guy he was going to be okay.
"You're good, dude," he said the reptile. "You are all good."
The FWC officer had to spend a few moments coaxing the gator to let go of its own tail that was wrapped around the catch pole and in its mouth. After a couple of death rolls on the bathroom floor, the gator stopped biting its tail.
After an officer helped put tape on the gator's mouth to keep it from biting anyone, he started walking out of the bathroom with the gator held away from his body in order to leave the hotel room.
"Alright, don't take alligators again," the officer said before leaving.
Stephan claimed she "borrowed" the reptile without permission to bring it to the hotel and take photos with it for her birthday. She allegedly went to the zoo before it opened, used the keys she still had and took the gator.
After successfully stealing the gator, she drove to the resort where she put it in the bathtub, FWC explains.
In the incident report, the officer said the gator was cold to the touch because it had been held in cold water. Authorities got in touch with Croc Encounters' owner to ask if Stephan was an employee and allowed to take the gator from the zoo. The owner reportedly told officers she wasn't given permission to be on the property or take the animal.
The gator was eventually returned to Croc Encounters later that afternoon.
"We are very grateful to the responding officers who were able to get this little guy back to his proper home at Croc Encounters so he can continue to greet and educate visitors at our facility," the zoo said in a statement at the time.
10 Tampa Bay's Courtney Holland contributed to this report. You can watch the extended body camera footage below or by clicking here.