A Georgia man, Zach (@zachattack1454), has amassed attention on TikTok after sharing his unique relationship with an alligator.
Alligators aren’t the first animal you think of when someone describes a pet. But for Georgia’s answer to Steve Irwin, Priscilla the gator is his perfect four-legged companion.
While alligators are more associated with Florida, popping up at golf courses and outside people’s homes, Georgia is arguably a gator hotspot too.
The video, which has garnered 31,700 views, starts with Zach (@zachattack1454) telling viewers, “All right, I wanna show y’all something.”
He goes on to say that he “just pulled up to the pond, trying to catch a fish, Sunday afternoon.”
Then, he pans the camera to a pond.
“No alligator, but you watch. I’m gonna call her in,” he says.
Zach then attempts to call the gator. “Come on, Priscilla!” he says. “Come on, girl!”
He then tells viewers to “give her a sec” and adds, “She only has one eye, too. So that’s how I know it’s her. But you just wait and see. She’s coming. Give her a couple of minutes.”
After calling her a second time, Zach pans the camera back to the pond, and then to himself again.
“Here she comes. Baby girl, come on, Priscilla,” he says.
He then zooms in to an alligator swimming at the other end of the pond, the head visible.
“Come to daddy,” Zach adds. “She just comes up here, hangs out while we fish,” he says.
Zooming in again on the alligator, who is swimming closer, Zack ends the clip by greeting Priscilla with a “Hey girl.”
BroBible reached out to the TikToker via email.
‘Keep That One-Eyed Priscilla In Georgia’
Some commenters were cautious.
“Sir, y’all keep that one-eyed Priscilla in Georgia,” one said. “My 1.5 acre pond, here in Southeast Oklahoma has enough questionable things swimming in it.”
“Some times I think Kansas is boring but I’m pretty glad we don’t have gators here,” a second admitted.
Others shared their own stories, with a third saying: “Alligators get a bad rap. I grew up fishing family gravel pits. Gators were everywhere and we had a 5 footer that turned into a friend. It was cool as hell.”
Elsewhere, commenters were excited by the set-up.
“I never wanted to be a pond pet so badly,” a fourth admitted.
A fifth said, “Cute [heart eyes emoji] she comes when she’s called they are very smart!”
How Many Alligators Are In Georgia?
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, there are approximately 200,000 alligators in Georgia. The Savannah Morning News reports that alligators are considered a “game species,” which means that you are, within reason, legally allowed to hunt them.
However, the outlet states that you are only legally permitted to shoot alligators during alligator season. This year, alligator season opened on Aug. 14 and will close on Oct. 5. Georgia Code § 27-3-19 states that, if you break this law, you will get a misdemeanor. This means that you could be fined at least $500 or spend up to one year in prison.
Is It Safe To Stand Near An Alligator-Infested Pond?
While alligators are dangerous carnivores, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reports that, between 1980 and 2001, there have only been eight reported cases of alligators attacking humans. None of these attacks resulted in death. Six of these attacks happened after the people involved went out of their way to make contact with the gators. In turn, only two of these incidents involved alligators mistaking humans for prey. So while you can stand in or near an alligator-infested pond, it’s probably not the smartest idea.
Texas Parks and Wildlife notes that alligators are actually scared of humans. So, if you’re feeling afraid during an encounter, you’re not the only one.
@zachattack1454 South GA rips #fyp #pond #lizard #alligator #pet