Gator Crossing: You Never Know What You'll See In Florida

TAMPA, FL — Just when you think you've seen it all, drivers came upon a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy who had stopped traffic at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Williams Road, so he could usher an alligator safely across the road.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Greg Starling got the call on Sunday - most likely either a code S16 (obstruction in the highway) or a code S69A (alligator) - since there's no specific law enforcement code for "alligator crossing the road and causing a traffic jam," though there probably should be.

Starling promptly halted traffic and safely escorted the big guy across the intersection and into a nearby pond as wide-eyed drivers looked on. As a member of the sheriff's agricultural crimes unit, Starling has experience wrangling all sorts of critters, so a recalcitrant 9-foot gator didn't faze him.

One driver caught the encounter on video and posted it to TikTok.

It's all par for the course for Florida law enforcement officers during alligator mating season when gators wander away from their native swamps and ponds in search of love.

Residents can expect to see more close encounters of the gator kind through June when mating season ends, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

So far this season, Pinellas County sheriff's deputies have been called in twice to help remove gators found taking dips in homeowners' swimming pools.

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies were summoned to remove a 9-foot alligator hiding under a car in a parking lot and a 4-foot gator doing some window shopping at a FishHawk Ranch shopping center.

The FWC noted that gators become more aggressive during mating season and have been known to mistake Fido for food, so residents should keep their pets away from ponds and lakes where alligators may be lurking.

Residents who find a gator beneath their car or, in the recent case of a Wesley Chapel woman, inviting itself into her home should call the FWC's Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

See related stories:

• Mating Season Means More Alligators Venturing Among People: Video
• Watch: Large Gators 'Wrestle' In Lakewood Ranch Backyard
• 11-Foot Gator Breaks Into Clearwater Home, Heads For The Wine
• Close Encounters During Gator Mating Season; Here's What To Do
• Video: It's Raining Gators In Florida