During the first weekend of April, a giant Alligator was spotted in Cross Creek. Many people stopped to take pictures before this large gator was escorted back to the water by police officers later that day. Seeing an Alligator is cool but you must know how to react when encountering one.

The steps for staying safe when you see an Alligator are straightforward: It all begins with keeping calm. Seeing a big creature can be scary, but they won’t attack you unless you anger them. Keeping your distance is key — they won’t hurt you unless you’re a threat to its territory. Distance is great but you can’t just stare at it in shock. Actions must be taken to return the alligator to its home. 

Depending on where you live, you can call different numbers where specialists will come and take the gator. If the area you live in doesn’t have a certified number your second-best option is your local police department they know who to call.

Once the authorities have been called congrats you survived the gator! Now the next time you see a big scary Alligator you can save it like a pro.