A man in Florida risked his life to save his pet dog from the deadly jaws of an alligator.
The dramatic incident was caught on a wildlife camera and shared online. The video shows the man, named Richard Wilbanks, jumping into waist-deep lake water after the reptile drags his pup underwater.
He brings the tiny dog to the surface and tries to free it from the reptile’s jaws. The dog is seen yelping as Richard struggles to free it from the gator’s grip. He eventually manages to open the jaws of the reptile for his pooch to get out and make an escape run.
The video was captured in October. It suffered a puncture wound from the gator attack but is currently healthy.
The puppy seen in the 22-second clip is a 3-month old Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Gunner.
The footage was shot as part of a project between the Florida Wildlife Federation and the FStop Foundation called Sharing the Landscape. The initiative is aimed at installing cameras in areas having birder wild habit in Lee County to document wildlife activities.
