THE DAILY WIRE · FLORIDA, USA · 2026-09-19
Backyard Removal Goes Exactly As Well As You'd Expect
An 8-foot alligator made its objections to eviction proceedings extremely clear this week, snapping at Florida deputies during a backyard removal that was, fortunately for all involved, caught on bodycam.
According to the report, deputies responded to a residential property to remove the animal, during which the alligator snapped at them before the removal was completed. No injuries to the deputies were reported. The footage, released by authorities, documents the encounter in full.
Florida alligator removals are, at this point, practically a municipal service, but the animals rarely go along quietly, and Webster would argue that's the correct response to being asked to relocate on short notice with no moving truck provided.
Seeking a resident's perspective, this reporter located Big Darlene, a local pelican who has watched more backyard gator standoffs than most licensed trappers.
Her sympathies were, perhaps predictably, not entirely with the deputies.
The alligator was successfully relocated, the deputies returned to duty unharmed, and the backyard in question presumably remains available for future negotiations.
“Eight feet is a rookie number, I've seen bigger fellas sunbathing on that same lawn on a slow Tuesday. Deputies act shocked every time, but you show up uninvited to a gator's backyard, in his opinion that makes it your backyard now. Alligators can go months without eating, so honestly that snap was probably just him saying hello.” — Big Darlene, local pelican
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