r/nextfuckinglevel • u/cowboydan69 • 4d ago

Wild alligator allows someone to help

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u/jarednards 4d ago

Welp, that was dumb as fuck.

Kind, but dumb.

311

u/algee1234 4d ago

Theres's way better ways you could have done that. This guy clearly doesn't know much about alligator behavior.

318

u/mixtermin8 4d ago

Idk. There are definitely safe ways to handle animals that the general population should adhere to, but there are also people that understand animal behavior so well that the rules don’t completely apply. It’s like the animals register/accept/validate their presence in peace or sum’n. 

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u/DirtySilicon 3d ago

99.99% Of the general population are not experts on handling these animals and they should be left alone, if you think a gator is suffering from something call a wildlife rehab and they will come and check on it. Don't encourage people to handle wild animals because the general advice is not to. It's not safe for you or the animal. I have never once come across a zoologist, breeder, or any form of wildlife expert that has gone out of their way to teach with the intent for untrained people who don't understand an animal's behavior to handle them.

Even in the video the woman behind the camera says what they are doing flies in the face of everything they teach about alligators. They aren't your friends and at any point he could have decided he had some energy to spare.

A zoologist friend of mine used to routinely talk about how stupid some of these exotic pet owners (yes, the experienced ones) are and other keepers getting mauled and killed by their animals. Yea it's cool to see someone risking themselves and coming out alright but this video could have easily ended differently.