Florida golfers are used to sharing the fairway with the occasional alligator, but players at St. Johns Golf Club recently witnessed something far stranger: a sizable gator making its way across the course with a whole flock of turkeys in tow. The video quickly spread across social media this week, delighting viewers with the reptile's seemingly unbothered stroll and its feathered shadow crew.
Wild turkeys and alligators both call Florida home, but the two species don't typically make headlines together. In this clip, the gator appears completely indifferent to the birds trailing close behind — and the turkeys seem equally committed to keeping up, almost as if they appointed themselves the alligator's unofficial escort across the green.
Florida supports an estimated 1.3 million alligators, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and they can turn up in any of the state's 67 counties. Most encounters are uneventful, but residents and visitors are encouraged to keep a respectful distance from any gator they spot in the wild.
If you come across an alligator you believe poses a real threat to people, pets, or property, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission runs a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program. Contracted trappers handle removal of alligators four feet or longer deemed a genuine hazard — you can reach the program's hotline toll-free at 1-866-FWC-GATOR (1-866-392-4286).
This story was originally reported by Samantha Neely for the Palm Beach Post and the USA TODAY Network – Florida.
