Camera footage shows a Florida man leaping into a pond to save his 3-month-old puppy from an alligator's jaws. That video quickly went viral.
Richard Wilbanks, 74, was outside his house when he heard Gunner, his new dog, whimpering. He came after his dog only to witness how an alligator in his backyard pounced on the dog and yanked it into the pond.
Wilbanks claimed that everything happened so quickly that he momentarily stood frozen and the only thing that was on his mind was that his dog was in danger and needed his help. Wilbanks quickly rushed into the pond, grabbed the little alligator, and forced its mouth open so Gunner, a three-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, could escape. Louise Wilbanks learned about her husband's battle with the tiny alligator only after Wilbanks and Gunner returned home drenched in blood.
Wilbanks claimed in an interview that he just got a few cuts and received a tetanus shot, while his dog only got a minor cut on his tummy and was completely fine. The incident was caught on tape only because Wilbanks was a part of a program that allows homeowners who live near wilderness to allow certain organizations to put cameras on their land to record animals. As soon as these organizations learned about the incident, they immediately took action and removed the alligator from Wilbanks' backyard.
The people who saw the video couldn't help but notice how Wilbanks still managed to keep his cigarette in his mouth despite his brawl with the alligator. To avoid something similar happening again, Wilbanks vowed never to let his dog off his leash unattended. Authorities said that although alligators rarely cause serious injuries, people should never let their guard down.
They should always keep a safe distance from alligators and call the authorities in case of an emergency.
You can watch the full video here.
Credit: 11Alive