Watch lumbering alligator bring bicyclist to tense standstill in Florida neighborhood

When traffic slows to a crawl in Florida, it can literally crawl, judging by a video recorded on the streets of Bonita National Golf & Country Club in Bonita Springs.

The clip shows a bicyclist was among those patiently waiting as a large alligator lumbered from one side of a street to the other.

Electrician Brandy Dentzau recorded the video Friday, April 12, as she was working in Bonita Springs, and she can be heard asking neighbors why the alligator crossed the road. Bonita Springs is about a 150-mile drive southeast from Tampa.

“Bonita National was built in wetlands and against a wildlife and environmental area. The gators (there were two) were going from one lake to the other behind the houses,” Dentzau told McClatchy News.

The bicyclist lives in the area, but was alarmed and began yelling warnings when the 10- to 12-foot alligator strayed into a neighbor’s yard, Dentzau says.

Her video represents the quandary Florida’s alligators face, as homes continue to be built on what was once wilderness.

The risks are heightened in spring, with April representing the start of alligator courtship season, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It’s a time when male alligators are apt to wander in search of females, compelling them to cross busy roads, enter yards and hang out under cars, experts say.

Dentzau is among those who think more tolerance needs to be shown when alligators show up in awkward places.

Others are less understanding, however.

“I would never go outside again. I swear ... it’s like Jurassic Park here,” one commenter posted on Dentzau’s video. “I don’t care what anyone says. Those are dinosaurs. I love them and they’re so so amazing to watch, but I’m from Illinois and they scare the crap out of me.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2024 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Watch lumbering alligator bring bicyclist to tense standstill in Florida neighborhood."