Monster alligator prowls Florida golf course during Tropical Storm Eta
Oh snap!
A massive dinosaur-like alligator dropped jaws when it was caught prowling the lawn of a Florida golf club during Tropical Storm Eta.
The mammoth emerald beast, with legs longer than a dog’s and a hulking, meaty torso, was caught on video taking a stroll through the Valencia Golf & Country Club in Naples as the downgraded hurricane battered Florida’s gulf coast Wednesday.
“I was a little shocked obviously,” Tyler Stolting, the first assistant golf professional at the club who took the video, told The Post by phone Thursday.
“It was pretty big, biggest one I’ve ever seen!”
The clip evoked memories of prehistoric times and questions over the beast’s authenticity — could such a creature really be walking the earth?
But Stolting, and his co-worker Jeff Jones, insisted the alligator was the real deal, even if they were only briefly impressed by its size.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen one that big, I was a little shocked,” Jones, the club’s lead golf professional, said, adding neighbors had seen the beast in the past.
“I’ve been here a long time and I’m not surprised to see it walking across the golf course, I am a little surprised at how big it was.”
For Stolting, it was par for the course living in the Sunshine State. He was quick to brush off the public’s bewilderment over the reptile, saying he didn’t “feel like” discussing it.
Twitter denizens who saw the snaps pointed to Florida’s many perils as reason to stay far away. Tweets about deadly hurricanes, sharks and apparently, prehistoric beasts that have seemingly surfaced from the murky waters of the state’s many canals, were soon tossed around.
“This is one reason I will not retire in Florida. Someone needs to capture and study this creature,” wrote @StacyDAlessand3.
“Just moved here yesterday. Pretty sure I can get my deposit back,” Elizabeth Westhoff tweeted.
When asked about safety issues the gator posed for golfers and residents, Jones was unfazed.
“As long as nobody’s feeding him, they’ll be fine,” he quipped.
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