Crikey, they can thank Steve Irwin!
Oregon police captured an alligator bizarrely running wild in a woman’s driveway — using tips from the classic wildlife TV show “The Crocodile Hunter,” officers said Friday.
Cops’ jaws dropped when they spotted the habitat-defying 3-foot gator in the fir-dotted mountain town of Grants Pass Monday, Officer Jason Kopp told Newsweek.
“Our valley is surrounded by woods and agricultural areas —calls regarding a bobcat, cougar, bear, deer, or other wild animals are common,” said Kopp, of the Grants Pass Police Department. “This was different.”
The ruthless reptiles are native to swampy southeastern states, so officers at first suspected the person reporting it had lost her mind, he said.
“Typically when we get a call from someone about an alligator ‘staring at me in my driveway,’ we’re considering the person may be under the influence, or having a mental health crisis,” Kopp said.
But when an EMT confirmed the scaly sight, officers sprang to action — channeling their inner Aussie wildlife wrangler.
“Using the knowledge we gained from watching animal shows, like “The Crocodile Hunter,” we decided to wrangle it ourselves,” Kopp said, referencing the nature documentary series hosted by the late Steve Irwin.
“I used one of our catch poles around its head to keep it from moving away. It reared back and hissed, opening its jaws to display some small, but intimidating teeth. It was only a 3-foot gator, but it was incredibly strong.”
As the animal thrashed and fought back, officers looped a catch pole around its neck, held its head and taped its jaws shut, Knopp said.
“I straddled its back and held its head still while another officer taped its jaws. I’m a fairly large person, and the alligator was still difficult to hold still,” he said. “I have a new respect for the strength of these animals.”
Police carried the critter — which had escaped from an enclosure nearby — to a patrol car and it “was fairly docile after that,” he said.
The gator was later sent to an animal sanctuary in Salem, Oregon, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife
It wasn’t clear if the owner of the alligator was keeping the pet legally, which requires an “exotic animal” license in the area.