'Toothy Airman' Found on Base's Runway

Florida base says 10-foot alligator was released in river
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2024 4:21 PM CDT

MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa says its "newest toothy Airman" has been relocated to a more suitable location than where they found it on Monday—on the runway, resting beside the landing gear of a KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. In a Facebook post, the base shared video of two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers wrangling the large alligator, CBS News reports.

The base thanked the officers and said the 10-foot gator had been released in the Hillsborough River. Officials say April is mating season for alligators, which makes them more likely to wander into unfamiliar territory, the AP reports. The base said wildlife officials suspect Monday's visitor may have been pushed "away from home" by Elvis, a 12-foot alligator known to roam the area, per CBS. (More alligator stories.)

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