Alligator gets the last laugh after taking shoe thrown at him: Watch video

USA Today

2 days ago

She flung her shoe, and the gator stole it and slid right into the water.
A woman tried to shoe away an alligator, but was left ab-shoe-lutely shocked when the critter took off into the nearby lake, but not before taking vengeance.
Sarah Louise Martin was vacationing in Florida and was relaxing by a lake when she spotted an alligator closing in on some deer, according to Storyful.
She and others nearby were watching the gator, but then, the video shows a woman attempting to scare it away by throwing her slides at it.
And it worked... sort of.
The gator seemed a little startled when the sandal was flung at it. But, after only a moment, it collected itself, looked at the sandal, and ran off into the water with the shoe in its mouth.
"Serves her right," Martin is heard saying in the video.
Watch video of gator take off with woman's shoe
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Much tastier than a shoe: Another gator goes viral
This video comes after another viral incident where a gator was recorded crossing the road with a massive fish in its mouth.
In Apopka, Florida, 15 miles northwest of Orlando, a gator was spotted crossing a dirt road at a nature preserve with its huge meal before disappearing into the water on the other side.
What to do if approached by an alligator
Don't go near it, leave it alone, and definitely don't throw any shoes at it.
"Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated on its website.
Alligators, which live along the edges of bodies of water, naturally fear humans, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife. They will usually run off if approached.
While attacks are rare, they can cause serious injuries or be lethal. People in Florida who are worried that an alligator in a nearby body of water might pose a threat can call FWC's Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.
You should do the following to avoid having a confrontation with an alligator, according to the FWC:
Contributing: Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [e-mail]