Huge alligator found under pickup truck is wrangled in Texas neighborhood, photos show

A massive alligator wandered into a Texas neighborhood and made itself comfortable under a pickup truck — until deputies and animal control stepped in.

One man was about to leave for work early in the morning on Monday, Sept. 19, when he spotted the alligator lying in the street of his Atascocita neighborhood, beside a silver Chevrolet, video shows. (Caution: strong language)

Moments later, Harris County Precinct 4 deputies and animal control arrive at the home near 13800 North Lake Branch Lane, according to a release shared to Facebook by Constable Mark Herman.

A man in American flag shorts lassos the gator, while several others pick up slack behind him and pull, video shows. The tug-of-war match ends with the alligator tied up, blindfolded and ready to be taken someplace where it won’t make people late for work.

The gator measured an impressive 12 feet in length, according to the release.

“The alligator has been safely captured and (is) in Animal Control’s possession,” Herman wrote in the post.

While alligators are not uncommon in parts of Texas — many commenters were surprised by the size of the reptile.

“So, we just have dinosaurs roaming neighborhoods now?” one commenter asked.

Others suggested that the alligator may have just been trying to help, in its own way.

“Catalytic converter anti-theft device,” a commenter said.

This latest incident comes one week after authorities in Fort Bend wrangled an 11-foot alligator seen lumbering through the Grand Lakes subdivision.

Both instances occurred in suburbs of Houston — well-established gator territory in Texas. But the sluggish reptiles have a way of appearing in unexpected places as well, which they’ve demonstrated in recent months.

In early September, police responded to a bank in Lake Worth to find a 3-foot gator hanging out by an ATM, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

More surprising, the Midland County Sheriff’s Office reported an alligator wandering in a trailer park near Midland-Odessa in May — though officials believe that was an escaped pet.

This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Huge alligator found under pickup truck is wrangled in Texas neighborhood, photos show."