STALKING ITS PREY
CHILLING footage captures the moment a group of screaming children rush to escape a huge alligator that had been quietly stalking them.
Beachgoers at Huntsville State Park 60 miles north of Houston, Texas were left horrified as they spotted the stealthy reptile wading through the water toward the children.
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One person caught the chaotic episode on camera as the predator crept up on the kids.
"Look how big it is!" one person screamed as the animal approached a small girl who had just jumped into the water from the dock.
David Siljeg was at the beach when the terrifying encounter took place.
"The gator was definitely aiming for her," said Siljeg. "It was like a movie scene, but real."
Within seconds, parents and onlookers ran into the water to retrieve the girl.
Thankfully, everyone was able to make it out of the water unharmed.
Another witness, Noel Garcia, told the stations that the creature was actually caught in a rope used to create the borders of the safe swimming zone.
"Luckily, the rope was there to distract him," Garcia noted.
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A herpetology keeper at the Houston Zoo explained that alligators are commonplace in the Houston area,
"That one in the video there, that could be a bigger male gator," Eddie Sunila pointed out.
He confirmed the witnesses' worst fear, "Maybe he's seeing a smaller-sized kid as a prey item."
In spring and summer, alligators are moving to breed and find new habitats.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has offered guidance to the public regarding handling alligator confrontations.
"If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly," the organization advises.
While it's unusual for wild alligators to chase people, they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land.
People should always abstain from feeding them and watch their children and pets in spaces where alligators may wander.
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