ESTERO, Fla. (WSVN) – A remarkable scene unfolded as Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies captured a colossal 12-foot, 600-pound alligator spotted outside Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida.
Discovered behind a Five Below store, the hefty reptile raised eyebrows, prompting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to step in and relocate the gator to a safer habitat.
Video footage captured the unique operation, involving about eight people, including law enforcement officers, lifting the sizable alligator into the back of a truck. One individual held the reptile’s large tail with the ease of handling a tree limb.
The impressive reptile was safely apprehended on Thursday by LCSO authorities. The FWC, considering the alligator a potential threat to people, orchestrated the relocation.
Ensuring the safety of both the public and the reptile, the 12-foot alligator was relocated alive to Townsend & Sons farm, approximately 45 miles away in LaBelle. Estero, the site of this reptilian surprise, is situated about 145 miles southeast of Tampa.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.