Woman Spots Cranes Acting As 'Crossing Guards' For A Little Alligator

“They were definitely a team working as a united front.”

Mallery Neptune and her family were driving to an arts and crafts store in Saint Cloud, Florida, when they stopped to let someone cross the street.

A small alligator was slowly making his way out of the grass and into the road, pursued by a family of long-legged cranes.

Cranes chase alligator across the street in Florida
Mallery Neptune

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw something moving in the grass,” Neptune told The Dodo. “My arm flung [out] and hit my husband in the chest and I yelled, ‘Babe! Stop the car! There’s an alligator crossing the road!’ He hit the brakes and we watched the scene unfold.”

“I was really hoping it would stay family-friendly since my little guys were in the car with their eyes glued on the alligator,” she added.

Mallery Neptune

Neptune had often passed a family of cranes lounging in the grass on the opposite side of the street. And as the alligator headed in that direction, she realized the cranes were protecting their turf. 

“The cranes were on his tail,” Neptune said. “At first, it looked like a game of follow-the-leader, but once the alligator was in the street, the cranes went ahead to guide him home.”

Cranes act as crossing guards for alligator
Mallery Neptune

The cranes spread their wings and acted as crossing guards as they gently blocked the alligator from the grass and sent him in the opposite direction. 

“It was amazing to see them use their wings to increase their size and redirect the alligator,” she said. “They were definitely a team working as a united front.”

You can watch this unique animal interaction here:

Mallery Neptune

The alligator got the message and booked it back to the pond, but the cranes walked him to the water just to be sure he made it home. For Neptune and her family, witnessing this animal interaction was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We have seen alligators sunbathing around the ponds, but we have never witnessed one crossing the street or interacting with cranes in this manner,” Neptune said. “It was so much fun to witness these amazing animals!”

Initially, Neptune filmed the alligator for her dad, but when she watched the video back, she realized how special it was, and wanted to share it with the world. In the days since she posted the video on social media, it's gone viral.

“I decided to post it because the whole interaction was making us laugh, and I thought some of my friends might enjoy the laugh, too,” Neptune said. “Laughter is contagious and we could all use some good laughs right now.”

To learn more about Neptune's experience, you can follow her on Instagram