Alligator In The Road? Just Kick It, One Woman Decides

LAKE CHARLES, LA — It’s the latest example of what not to do when encountering wild animals: A woman in Louisiana decided to look Darwinism straight in the face when she and a wandering alligator got stuck in traffic.

In a TikTok video that’s been viewed millions of times, Kelsey Marcantel of Lake Charles, Louisiana, caught a fellow traveler delayed by the crossing gator doing what any logical (where's the satire font when you need it?) human would do.

Using her foot, the woman appeared ready to kick the alligator down the road, as if it was an inconveniently placed tin can or something.

"Typical day in Louisiana," Marcantel captioned the video, which rolls as the “Jackass” theme song plays as a backdrop.

While the woman never actually kicked the alligator, the video does show her foot make contact with the animal’s mouth, prompting it to open its powerful jaws and snap at her. The woman then tries to make contact again, but the anxious alligator was having none of it. Eventually, another bystander steps in, armed with what appears to be a metal pipe.

In a follow-up video, Marcantel — who was identified by Newsweek — said the woman wasn’t trying to hurt the alligator.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what she was trying to accomplish by kicking it, but I do know she wasn’t trying to hurt it," Marcantel said in the second video. “They were just trying to get it off the streets."

Marcantel went on to call the situation “very typical” for southern Louisiana.

“Stuff like this happens every single day,” she said. “I’m sure the same thing happens in Florida, but Louisiana can be just as bad as Florida. You just don’t see as much of it.”

While it’s hard to tell what was going through the woman’s head, she's lucky she didn't lose a foot or some other limb.

Just last month, a Palm Harbor, Florida, woman was hospitalized after she was attacked by an alligator while walking her dog near a retention pond. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the gator was likely going for the dog but clamped onto the woman’s leg when she bent down to pick up the dog.

Also in June, a Tampa diver was attacked by an alligator while searching for megalodon shark teeth in the Myakka River in Venice, Florida.

Although alligator attacks in Louisiana are rare, it can happen, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In this specific case, it’s actually against Louisiana state law to harass or attempt to move an alligator from a road or any other area.

Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually retreat when approached by people, the agency said. However, in some cases, they’ll stay put. The Louisiana wildlife department recommends people follow these steps when encountering an alligator:

• If you have a close encounter with an alligator, back away slowly. If you hear an alligator hiss, it's a warning that you’re too close.
• If you see an alligator while you're walking a pet, make sure the pet is on a leash and under your control. Your pet will naturally be curious, and the alligator may see it as an easy food source.
• If you see an alligator in a roadway, yard or another unexpected place, do not attempt to move it.
• View and photograph wild alligators from a safe distance of at least 50 feet.
• If you encounter an alligator that’s lost its fear of people or is becoming a nuisance, contact your state department of wildlife.