An alligator was spotted casually strolling outside a motel room in Fairfax County, Virginia, leaving tourists panicked. They immediately called the police, who arrived after midnight and were surprised to see a 6-foot reptile.
In a video, shared by Fairfax County Police, one of the cops is heard saying, "Damn! That is an alligator! There is actually an alligator outside the hotel."
Estimating its size, another officer commented that if he lay down next to it, the alligator would be roughly 6 feet.
One of the cops is also heard warning someone in the vicinity to take their dog inside. But the person replied, "I know, I want to see it."
Then the officers are seen carefully handling the reptile.
The video quickly went viral.
A user commented, "Please tell me there aren't alligators in FFX. I'll need to move north if there are."
Another wrote, "Maybe he was just here for the parade."
"Just wanted a personal tour of the area [with two laughing emojis]," commented another.
Members of the Animal Protection Police arrived shortly after the incident was reported to help the owners put the reptile in the car.
According to the Virginia Police, the alligator escaped from its owner, who was driving the reptile from New York to a zoo in North Carolina. Even after the alligator was handed back to its owner, they were asked to leave the county as per Virginia law.
The Fairfax County Police Department spokesperson said, "Due to Virginia state code, which prohibits the possession of certain exotic animals not native to the Commonwealth, the alligator and its owner were safely escorted out of the county."
