9-Foot Alligator Was Captured at Preschool Parking Lot in Florida: Watch Video

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NEED TO KNOW

  • A 9-foot alligator, known by locals as “Elvis,” was spotted on the grounds of a preschool in Florida on May 6
  • Authorities helped wrangle and relocate the animal with the help of a local trapper, and no injuries were reported
  • “This king of the (swamp) jungle was safely removed,” read a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

A 9-foot alligator was removed from the grounds of a preschool in Florida.

Hillsborough County deputies “responded to a scaly situation outside Fishhawk Early Learning Preschool” in Tampa suburb Lithia, on May 6, per a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). 

Elvis appeared during pickup hours, “when children and staff” typically are moving between buildings, per the statement.

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Deputies “quickly stepped in to keep everyone safe and steer foot traffic away from the 9-foot gator” until a certified trapper arrived.

Deputies then assisted with the reptile’s “capture and relocation.”

”Thanks to a quick response and teamwork, this king of the (swamp) jungle was safely removed,” the statement concluded.

A video of the incident shared to the HCSO Facebook page shows deputies wrangling the alligator with the help of the trapper, eventually rolling the animal onto its back. They then slid Elvis into the bed of a truck via a wooden board with the assistance of an unidentified woman.

Several local residents commented on the post, expressing concern for the welfare of the animal.

“I live across the street. This gator has been here for years and was a favorite of many. We know it’s him because he’s missing a foot. I really hope he was relocated and not euthanized,” one commenter wrote.

“It is sad that Elvis is no longer in our community. People need to stop feeding them and just let them be. Especially, if they aren’t being aggressive,” wrote someone else.

PEOPLE reached out to the HCSO and Fishhawk Early Learning Preschool for comment on Saturday, May 10, but did not receive immediate responses.

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