Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/11/25/video-shows-man-wrestling-alligator-to-save-puppy.html
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Honestly, I was hoping for at least a Crocodile Dundee sized snapper, would have settled for a Tarzan even, but this just looks like a guy wrestling a sock puppet 
Harsh, I know.
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This is a lovely story, but based on my experience and not having watched the video, I can only assume he was swearing about how much that damn dog cost the whole time.
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That’s the thing, too much bigger and that pup’s a gonner. Plus, there could’ve been bigger floating near by. You’ve gotta appreciate the calmness he shows as he acts like an absolute champ.
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Admittedly, I do admire the guy. I own a little dog myself.
Can’t help my knee-jerk piss-take sometimes…
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Same, same.
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But the one question we all need the answer to is not even addressed!
Did he relight the cigar?
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There are times when the Florida Man personality is useful; this is one of them.
OTOH, if a larger gator had then chomped him, this would be yet another Darwin video. Such a fine line.
Hope they took the puppy to a vet to be checked out; gator bites are powerful and there could be internal injuries or bleeding.
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do we know if this is a smaller species of alligator, or is it a young alligator?
“Hey Jr, go grab that dog, when the big guy comes in to save it I will grab him. We are going to be eating well tonight Jr.”
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Homo sapiens floridianus is the second largest of the great apes and by far the most dangerous and unpredictable…
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There’s just the one alligator species in Florida. This one is basically a puppy of an alligator.
There are also some crocodiles in Florida, but they’re much rarer than the gators.
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Having lived in Florida for over 10 years, and also a UF alumnus, I can say you’re on target. That’s just a puppy-gator. Still, potentially dangerous to pets just the same.
In Florida, gators are common enough that they potentially exist at any given time on the University of Florida campus.
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He actually wasn’t…
He seems to genuinely love that puppers…
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Some times Florida man does good. Hope the doggo was ok afterwards!
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I saw this on the BBC News and it’s very distressing to watch so I did think a warning would have been included in the post before watching.
Still, who knew a cigar chomping Florida man would be the hero we need - 2020 just never fails to surprise, in this case in a good way.
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See the clip above! Puppers looks healed and happy! 
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OH yay, I hadn’t seen a follow up. I assumed that was just about the viral video. So glad pupper is no worse for wear.
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Me too… certainly the kind of story we need right now!
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I read this story in a major outlet a few days ago and the shared that the puppy had a mild stomach puncture that the vets fixed, that the puppy is now doing great, and that the man’s hands are shredded but he’s happy his instinct to save the pupkins took over.
right?
I grew up in Fla and alligators eating pet dogs was a yearly event. It most often happened to tourists’ or snow birds’ pets, but really could happen to anyone. I feel the need to also mention that the man who saved this puppers was clear that he wouldn’t approve of the gator being hunted down, being it a part of nature.
Somewhat off topic but this reminded me of a young woman I knew in Southern California whose split second instincts combined with her training as a runner and allowed her to save her small dog from a coyote who’d snatched it up. She just took off and caught up and snatched her puppers right back from sure death. The poor doggo was fine but never could abide anyone coming at it from above - like the way you’d normally stoop down and pet a dogs back or head, nope, nope, oh hell nope. From in front and just below the snout or GTFO.
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