What would you do if a gator was loose near your apartment? It’s a pretty niche experience, but for one TikToker’s neighbor, the situation was more surprising than you’d think.
The video, which has garnered 4.6 million views, was soundtracked by the viral “Saxaphones getting louder” TikTok sound.
Filmed from a distance, it depicts Geraldine, Haylee’s (@hayleels) neighbor, walking towards a so-called “gator” in the water. “She don’t see that damn gator beside her?” a male voice asks.
“Is she crazy?” a female voice (presumably Haylee) adds.
“What is she doing?” she continues, as the woman approaches the “gator.” The male voice chimes in, saying, “Oh my Lord.”
Geraldine then bends over towards the “gator,” causing Haylee to gasp and the male voice to cry, “Oh s—!”
However, as she pulls it, it becomes apparent that it isn’t a gator at all—it’s a black bag. As the pair filming realize this, they burst into laughter.
The footage is overlaid with text that reads: “My apartment sent a message saying beware of the ‘gator.’ Geraldine standing on business.”
BroBible reached out to Haylee via email.
What Did Commenters Say?
Like Haylee, commenters saw the funny side of the situation. “The concerned tone of ‘What is she doing?!?!!’ before the reveal = CINEMA,” one wrote.
“The fact that the apartment complex put out a notice and it wasn’t even a gator is killing me,” a second added. “But imagining Geraldine high on the knowledge that she was right is giving me renewed life because I KNOW she let him hear it for the next week.”
While a third admitted, “It took me watching 3 times to realize it was a bag. I thought when she pulled the bag it was a gator tryna bite her.”
“I totally thought she was gonna use mom voice on a gator,” a fourth wrote.
Meanwhile, a fifth remarked, “I would have at least acted like it grabbed my arm.. such a wasted opportunity.”
What’s The Deal With All These Gators?
While this particular situation was a false alarm, gators are popping up everywhere recently. They’ve been seen in swimming pools, hiking trails, golf courses, and even gender reveal parties.
According to the Defenders of Wildlife blog, alligators were actually endangered in the U.S. in the 1960s. This is because, for more than a century, they were “overhunted” for their hides and meat. After receiving protection under the Endangered Species Act, the species were able to recover. According to the Endangered Species Coalition, the species were removed from the Endangered Species list back in 1987.
Because the species have recovered so well, nine U.S. states allow alligator hunting—although many of these states’ hunting provisions are highly regulated. According to Fox Weather, these states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
@hayleels some gator huh 🙂↕️🤣🤣 she was on a mission
The outlet also reports that over 5 million alligators live across Southern states. So, although there was no alligator on this occasion, it’s easy to see why the people running Haylee’s apartment panicked. But let’s hope that they don’t get it wrong next time. After all, nobody wants to be the boy who cried gator.