'Never In A Million Years': 3-Foot Alligator Walks Into Bagel Shop, Stuns Customers

At a bagel shop, mornings are usually about pouring coffee and serving the customers. But last Thursday, the staff at Bagel Dock Express in Southport, North Carolina, experienced a "never in a million years" incident when a three-foot-long alligator wandered into the shop, The Guardian reported. Wild CCTV footage shared by the business on Facebook shows the reptile strolling in through the back door, heading past the stockroom, and walking right up to the front counter, leaving staff and customers completely stunned.

According to the report, Jesse Driscoll, the owner of the shop, was busy installing a new oven when the animal walked in. He jumped dramatically in fear when he saw it.

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"It's just so far out of the ordinary for a bagel shop," Driscoll told WWAY News.

"You can see lots of things. People coming in. Friends coming in to say hi. But never in a million years did I think I'd see an alligator," he added.

One quick-thinking customer even grabbed a chair to use as a makeshift shield against the reptile.

"Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp!" the staff at the bagel shop wrote as the caption of the video, poking a little fun at the situation.

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Watch the video here:

Local police and animal control officers arrived at the scene. Animal Protective Services officer Ward, alongside Southport police officers, managed to safely capture the young alligator and relocate it.

"SPD Officers along with APS Officer Ward removed an alligator from inside the Bagel Dock late this afternoon. The gator was safely captured and relocated," the Southport police department posted to social media.

"Our surprise visitor was safely escorted out by local law enforcement. No injuries, no drama... just one VERY unusual customer!" the caption added.

"Fresh bagels. Wild experiences."

State wildlife officials point out that while alligators naturally tend to keep their distance, encounters with humans in coastal North Carolina have been on the rise.

As quoted by The Guardian, wildlife management district biologist John Henry Harrelson said, "People feeding alligators ultimately leads to those animals seeing humans as a potential source for food."

"Naturally, alligators are shy, but through feeding, alligators can lose their fear of humans and that leads to a possible negative interaction between people and wildlife," Harrelson added.