A Cuban identified as Pachy (@josepachy) recorded this week one of those videos that can only happen in Florida: a medium-sized American alligator strolling calmly across the pavers at the entrance of a modern house, as if it owned the place, and shared it on his TikTok account.
The clip lasts just 19 seconds, but that was enough to trigger an avalanche of reactions. In the scene, the contemporary facade of a two-story house is visible, complete with palm trees, a double garage, and a white SUV parked on one side, while the reptile moves leisurely and unbothered by anything or anyone.
The comments quickly rolled in, filled with Latino humor. One user vividly imagined the scene: "Me in the morning, looking for which neighbor would give me coffee." Another, with complete resignation, summed it up in three words: "Only in Florida." A third was more dramatic and confessed: "Uyyy, if that comes out, I’m done." And someone, in English, lightened the mood by referring to the animal as "just a water puppy."
"Lacoste is coming to visit you" or "That's the realtor," others said.
The video is not an isolated case. Since the end of 2025, several Cubans have recorded alligators in residential areas of Florida, sharing a mix of surprise and laughter, using Cuban vocabulary terms like "aguaje," that show of bravado and boastfulness that, in this case, the reptile comes with as standard.
In April of this year, Cuban meteorologist Rubén Capote shared a similar video of an enormous alligator strolling through a neighborhood in Sarasota, and last December another specimen was captured in the garden of a house in Miami-Dade.
The timing of the video is not a coincidence. May and June coincide with the alligator mating season in Florida, the period when these animals become more active, more territorial, and more likely to stray from their natural habitats in search of a mate or new territory.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators spread across its 67 counties. The institution advises not to approach any specimen, not to feed it, and to call the nuisance animal hotline if the animal measures over four feet or poses a threat.
For those who live in Florida, coexisting with these reptiles is part of the daily scenery. For the Cuban community in the state, it's also an endless source of humor: Pachy's alligator has nearly 70,000 views and continues to grow, because in Florida, the "neighbors" with scales and attitude never fail to entertain.
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