A huge alligator measuring 10 feet long (3.05 meters) and weighing over 300 pounds was captured near Coconut Creek High School in South Florida, and it was relocated without any reports of injuries.
The Coconut Creek Police Department reported on Saturday that the reptile was found next to a canal located at the corner of Coconut Creek Parkway and Lyons Road, within the school's boundaries.
The capture and relocation took place on Friday night with the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The animal was taken to Everglades Holiday Park, where it will have a new home, according to a report by Local 10.
Authorities joked about the alligator's large size, noting that it "could have played as a left tackle" on the Coconut Creek High School football team.
The police also humorously speculated that the reptile might have been waiting for the school to reopen after the summer break or that the nearby canal served "like a Buc-ee's for alligators."
The incident occurred just a few days after another alligator appeared in the baseball area of a high school in Osceola County, while members of the football team were training nearby. The animal was also captured and relocated without causing any injuries.
The presence of these reptiles near educational institutions is not an isolated occurrence in Florida.
The Davie police captured an 11-foot, 450-pound alligator in 2016 that was found near two schools.
On that occasion, the capture was carried out with the help of volunteers, without knowing what the fate of the 11-foot-long and 450-pound reptile would be.
Another incident occurred in 2019, when an eight-foot and two-inchalligator appeared inside an elementary school in Palmetto, near a playground.
The students had not yet arrived during the operation, while the area was cordoned off until FWC personnel removed the animal.
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