A newly released footage shows a man rescuing his dog from the jaws of an alligator. The video, which has now gone viral, has been captured by a project that was meant to monitor wildlife in the area.
The video shows the man jumping into the waist-deep pond water after the alligator dragged his dog underwater. Later on, the man can be seen submerging his whole arm to bring his small dog back to the surface. The dog yelped as the man tried to free it from the alligator. After 12 seconds, the man successfully freed his animal companion, with the gator fleeing the scene.
Florida Wildlife Federation and fStop Foundation initiated the project called Sharing the Landscape, where it involves residents who live in the area to volunteer have cameras placed in their backyards to document wildlife that live in the same area, according to Meredith Budd, regional policy director for the wildlife federation.
The Florida man, Wilbanks, has recovered from a puncture wound after saving his three-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog named Gunner.
“I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick,” Wilbanks told CNN in an interview. He hands were hurt and he received a tetanus shot.
