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A dangerous alligator was straddled and rescued by zookeepers in Australia after it became stranded during a storm, a video shows.
Keepers at the Australian Reptile Park on the central coast of New South Wales were tasked with relocating the alligator after torrential rain caused the water levels in its enclosure to rise.
The rising water allowed the alligator to swim over the top of the fence and escape a lagoon, the park said in a press release. The reptile shares the lagoon with 55 other alligators at the park.
Severe storms have ripped through the central coast and Greater Sydney area of New South Wales in recent days. One area of the central coast recorded more than 5.5 inches of rain in three hours. Humidity has soared to 90 percent and the Bureau of Meteorology warned on February 22 that torrential rain is set to continue throughout the week.
As a result, staff at the park have found multiple areas of the park overflowing with water.
In a press release, Jake Meney, the head reptile keeper who led the rescue, said: "You never really know the temperament of an alligator so although this guy was pretty happy to be relocated, we have to be prepared for him to change his mind at any stage."
"This dangerous task was heightened even more by the torrential rain that did not let up, making the ground and the gator incredibly slippery," he said.
Meney said the alligator was in a "tricky spot." While there was no danger of him breaching the main fence near visitors, there was still "no way" he would have been able to get back into the lagoon on his own.
In the footage, the alligator is trapped in a small area behind the internal fence of the park's lagoon. The lagoon's water level is so high it is spilling into the river bank.
An adult American alligator can weigh up to 500 pounds. Alligators do not usually attack humans unless provoked, but their bites can be fatal.
Keepers can be seen throwing a rope over the alligator's snout and attempting to haul it up the bank. With the manpower of three zookeepers, they finally manage to pull the reptile up.
Two keepers then work together to lift the alligator back over the fence. One straddles the reptile, lifting the middle of its body, while the other lifts its tail.
Once back over the fence, the keepers let the alligator go and it instantly turns away and swims back into the water.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more