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Alligator seen strolling outside Publix to ‘pick up a Pub Sub’ sandwich as officers see funny side

According to Pinellas Park PD, a caller on Thursday evening reported seeing a large alligator at Park Boulevard and 49th Street, near the Publix store

PINELLAS, FLORIDA: Two Florida police officers "helped relocate a gator" who was spotted in a Pinellas Publix parking lot Friday, May 12. The reptile, measuring approximately 6 feet in length, may have been craving a fresh "Pub Sub" sandwich and got itself diverted after being captured, the officers joked. Internet users have been hilariously reacting to the news by saying that the massive alligator "was so close to getting that Pub Sub."

Unusual alligator encounters are very common in Florida. In a strange alligator incident that occurred in April 2023 in Tampa, police investigators found a 9-foot alligator sauntering across a residential intersection at N Howard Ave & W Kathleen St around 1.00 am. Who can forget the "Superman" alligator that ripped through the new aluminum bars at a Florida golf club?

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What was the alligator doing?

According to Lt Roxanne Pohl of the Pinellas Park Police Department, a caller on Thursday evening reported seeing a massive alligator at Park Boulevard and 49th Street, close to the Publix store. She stated that the alligator was first seen strolling along the pavement and "at the time, follow[ed] all traffic laws." At some point, the alligator made it to the parking lot.

'On his way to pick up a PubSub'

According to the Facebook post of The Pinellas Park Police Department, authorities were puzzled as to why the alligator was present despite not being in its normal environment. "We can only speculate that he was on his way to pick up a PubSub," police stated. According to the department, neither the alligator nor anybody else was injured. The alligator was transferred to the wild safely with the help of officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "We’re happy to report both he and the shoppers are safe!" added the police department.

'Gators know about the Pub Subs too'

The internet is flooded with hilarious comments with one tweeting "He just wants a bag of Cheetos and a Sprite." Someone quipped, "It’s 2023. What world do we live in where a gator can’t even do his grocery shopping in peace SMH." Another user wrote, "Damn! He was just trying to pick up dinner for the family" One user joked, "Gators know about the Pub Subs too." "I mean it’s Florida. That’s their natural habitat until humans invaded," mentioned another. Another user joked, "He heard the subs were good." "Even the wildlife knows how good @Publix subs are!" read one comment.

Alligator in pipe

A video of a five-foot alligator lurking inside a stormwater pipe in another recent incident is making the rounds online. The incident reportedly happened in Oviedo, part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area. Luckily, they avoided coming into contact with the beast. The workmen sent a robot deep into the dark recesses while looking into a number of potholes that appeared along a street. A pair of glowing eyes were discovered by the robot, a four-wheel camera they employ to check for subsurface leaks, cracks, or faults.