Texas Grandma Kills 12-Foot Alligator to Avenge Pet Miniature Horse

Animal lovers may have some serious mixed feelings about this story, but everyone can enjoy hearing about a badass grandma who is also a mayor.

Years ago, a Texas grandmother"s pet miniature horse vanished, and she long suspected that a particularly large alligator was the culprit.

Now, the grandmother — who is also her town"s mayor — has exacted revenge by luring and killing a 12 foot alligator.

Judy Cochran only needed to fire a single shot to end the life of the 12-foot-long, 580 pound alligator on her ranch in Goodrich, Texas.

Cochran explains that this was no random alligator killing — it was personal.

"We think this is the gator that ate one of our miniature horses several years ago," Cochran explains.

"As big as this gator was," she says. "He could"ve easily eaten it."

She may have only needed one bullet to do the deed, but the preparation actually took a lot more doing.

Texas has its reputation, but it isn"t The Purge. Or Florida. They have laws.

Cochran explains that Polk County, where she lives, allows only a narrow window for anyone wishing to hunt an alligator.

Sunday, September 16, falls within the September 10 – 20 window.

Additionally, she had to obtain a permit and the appropriate tags. Additionally, Texas law requires someone intending to shoot an alligator to first capture their intended victim on a hook.

Cochran did just that. As she explains: "We don"t just go to the ranch and hunt a gator."

This year, Cochran became the mayor of the nearby town of Livingston.

She was in a meeting when her son-in-law informed her that she needed to head home, because the alligator had been snared.

They had tried a number of baits, including a pig"s liver. What finally worked was a seasoned raccoon carcass.

She couldn"t just abandon her job, so she finished work and then headed to the ranch where she fired the shot that ended the hooked alligator"s life.

Cochran fired the shot using her Winchester .22 Magnum.

She plans to mount the alligator head in her office.

The rest will not go to waste, as she plans to enjoy the alligator"s meat for food and the hide for boots.

It is worth noting that she slew this alligator at the same spot where, nine years ago, her then-5-year-old grandson slew a slightly larger gator.

He achieved a measure of viral fame at the time, even appearing on talk shows.

it is expected that Cochran, who recently became a great-grandmother, will do the same. But she may be too busy being mayor.

Obviously, there are issues with this story that make it controversial.

It sounds like alligators eating the miniature horse was just a theory, and even if so, difficult to pin on this particular alligator.

it is also, well, strange for anyone to seek revenge on an alligator.

A lot of people find it alarming that anyone is letting a 5-year-old hold a gun, let alone use one to kill something for fun.

Finally, some people are just surprised that this story didn"t take place in Florida.

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Man Uses Alligator for Gender Reveal, Shocks Chrissy Teigen

File this under the Welp, We"ve Never See THAT Before category…

A couple in Louisiana gathered together many friends and family members this week in order to reveal the gender of their unborn child.

But they didn"t use any balloons or cakes to surprise everyone (themselves included) with this piece of information.

They used an alligator.

Seriously.

Mike “T-Mike” Kliebert and Rebecca Miller are both trained alligator handlers and they took full advantage of their skills in this unique area by inviting one of their favorite reptiles to their party.

In the following footage, which has been viewed over 7 million times on Facebook, Mike feeds the alligator a small watermelon.

You can see the creator"s mouth snap shut, prior to blueberry Jell-O pouring out forth, thereby indicating that Mike and Miller are having a little boy.

Hooray, right?!?

Family and friends are seen cheering along with the husband and wife.

The clip has gone viral because, well… you did read that a man used an alligator to reveal his baby"s sex, right?

Among those who commented on the video was Chrissy Teigen, who has never met a social media moment she did not fully embrace.

"aaah yes the classic jello watermelon alligator snap gender reveal, who could ever get enough of these precious moments," she wrote in response to the reveal.

For whatever it"s worth, meanwhile, the alligator is named Sally and has appeared in American Horror Story and is set to appear in upcoming movie Louisiana Caviar starring Katharine McPhee and Richard Dreyfuss.

What does the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries think of this stunt?

It does not recommend using alligators for gender reveals.

“It wasn’t harmful to the animal,” a spokesperson told The Huffington Post.

“But we discourage and don’t condone anyone using an animal as exhibition piece. Also, it is not wise to have a dangerous animal in such a demonstration so close to humans, especially children."

That"s a fair point.

Watch the footage now:

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Von Miller Goes Alligator Wrestling

Here’s Denver Broncos MVP Von Miller scaring the hell outta John Elway … sitting on top of a living, breathing ALLIGATOR!  Miller is in Orlando, Florida for the Pro Bowl and decided to use some of his free time to visit Gatorland –the…

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Alligator in Critical Condition After Getting Hit By Motorcycle in Florida (PHOTOS)

This poor alligator never saw it coming — a motorcyclist mowed over the nearly 11-foot gator on a Florida highway and it’s now listed in critical condition. The incident went down just after midnight Friday in Wimauma, FLA when a 27-year-old man…

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"Dudesons" Star Jukka Hilden Bit By Alligator in INSANE Stunt (VIDEO)

“The Dudesons” star Jukka Hilden — a member of the four-man stunt group from Finland – played a game called Alligator Bite Roulette, and it’s EXACTLY the way it sounds. Here’s the thing … after the loser got bit, everyone else…

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Enormous Alligator Wanders Around Florida, Goes Viral

Over the years, Florida Man has given us plenty of reasons to be scared of him.

Like the time he had sex with a tree while high on Flaka.

The same goes for Florida Woman.

She once got wasted on Fireball and destroyed a close friend"s wedding.

But these incidents did not prepare us for what"s truly frightening about The Sunshine State; it"s not (always) the men and women who call it home.

It"s the presence of the Florida Alligator.

On Sunday, a massive reptile (estimated to be at least 14 feet long) was spotted at a a Polk County nature preserve, casually strolling around in front of tourists. 

Kim Joiner, who spotted the animal and chose to film it (as opposed to run for her life from it), told WFLA that it was “very exciting to see” the alligator in action.

As you can see below, the alligator did not feel the same way about the people around him. He seemed not to notice or not to care one bit.

Or maybe he was trying to play it cool, afraid he might get noticed, grabbed and tossed into a Wendy"s drive-thru window otherwise.

That is how they often roll in Florida.

Check out the crazy sighting now!

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Disney Guests WARNED Staff About Alligator Sightings Right Before Attack

Two-year-old Lane Graves was filling up his bucket with water for a sand castle when he was attacked at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort’s beach.

Now, in an official investigation conducted by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, two witness accounts change almost everything about what happened on the night of June 14th.

Shawna Giacomini of North Carolina said that she was at the same beach at 8:15 p.m. with her two daughters, about 15 minutes before the attack

“The daughters saw an alligator about 5 feet from shore, near the marsh,” according to the report.

“The eldest daughter told the WDW AV/Movie Coordinator about the alligator. The person she told ran to a man whose shirt said ‘Coordinator’ and told him about the alligator.

“The Giacomini’s went to the store and when they returned, the attack had already occurred.”

Another guest, Afred Smith sent an email to the investigators on June 15th.  He recalled seeing (then taking a photo of) an alligator from his balcony at the Grand Floridian just before 7:45 p.m.  

Smith wrote that he pointed the alligator out to an Disney employee, and just before the attack occurred, he saw children wading ankle deep in the lagoon while a screening of Zootopia was being shown on the beach.

Just as he was going out to warn everyone on the beach, Smith said he heard Graves’ mother “scream.”

The Graves family had stated back in June that they were not looking to sue Walt Disney World over what happened.  However, these new accounts of possible neglect on resort employee’s part could change everything.

“Melissa and I are broken,” Matt and his wife said said in a statement after the toddler’s body was found.

“We will solely be focused on the future health of our family and will not be pursuing a lawsuit against Disney.”

Matt Graves tried to wrestle his son’s body out of the alligator’s jaws, but the animal was able to swim away with its victim.  Lane’s body was found the next day under 6-7 feet of water by police officers.

Lane Graves Alligator Attack: More Details Emerge On Toddler"s Fatal Injuries

The drowning of 2-year-old Lane Graves by an alligator at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort still haunts members of the public two months later.

On the evening of June 14th, Graves was wading in the shallow waters of Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney’s man-made lake when an alligator snatched and dragged him underwater.

The little boy’s body was found by divers six feet under water the next day,  just 10-15 feet away from where he was attacked. 

Radar Online obtained a copy of the full autopsy, which rules the death as an “accident” and notes that Graves sustained fatal injuries to his “neck, scalp and skull.”

Graves, whose family was enjoying a movie night on the beach, was “dressed in a pair of blue shorts” with a disposable diaper underneath, “worn with a short-sleeved T-shirt emblemized with the American flag.”

The most severe injuries, according to the report, were around Graves’ head.

“The right side of the scalp,” the coroner noted, revealed “a vertically-oriented laceration measuring 2.3 x 0.3 cm.” with “a maximal depth of 0.4 cm.

“The skin on the left side of the hair-bearing scalp in the parietal region has two recent puncture wounds.”

Graves’ skull was fractured, and the coroner found “abrasions on his eyelid, eyebrow and jaw.”  He concluded that Graves “died as the result of cranio-cervical trauma and drowning.”

The alligator was eventually caught and killed by authorities.  Even though there is no swimming permitted in the lagoon, signs did not warn resort guests that alligators, snakes and other dangerous animals inhabited the waters. 

Prior to the accident, lounge chairs would be set up on the beach for people to sunbathe, and the resort also hosted movie nights, like the one the Nebraska-based Graves took part in before their son was killed.

Graves’ father, Matt tried to wrestle the boy out of the jaws of the alligator, but it was too late.

We continue to keep the Graves family in our thoughts.

Disney Alligator Attack: 911 Call Released

New details about the drowning of a Nebraska toddler at Walt Disney World have emerged.

People Magazine obtained the 911 call placed on the evening of June 14th, after two-year-old Lane Graves was dragged into the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon by an alligator.

The person who placed the call originally thought Graves drowned on his own.

“Please come to the Grand Coridi-Floridian please. Someone drowned in the – in the – Seven Seas Lagoon … Lake,” the caller explained, though the operator had a hard time understanding what happened.

“They’re in – at the pool?” the dispatcher asked.

“No. Lake,” the caller said.

“In the lake?”

“Yes.”

“You said they drowned there?” the operator asked.

“Um, someone drowned there – I just stayed in the pool. Please come to the Grand Floridian,” the caller explained from a landline that was at one of the resort’s pools.

The dispatcher, according to People, asked the caller to hang up and call from a cell phone so that they could get closer to the scene on the beach and describe in better detail what had happened.

Authorities explained that two 911 calls related to the accident were place; the first one came from the lifeguard who was immediately notified by witnesses on the scene that Graves was dragged into the lake.

Each lifeguard stand at Walt Disney World pools (in resorts and at water parks) has the capability to automatically dial 911 if the lifeguard leaves to rescue someone.  

That way, authorities are aware of an emergency without having to speak directly to the lifeguard.

Reedy Creek Fire Department spokesman Bo Jones told ABC News that the second call (the one with more detail) came from a staff member at the Grand Floridian Hotel.  That person’s identity has not yet been revealed.

Updated signage and barricades have been installed on all Disney beaches to indicate the danger of alligators and snakes in the area.  The theme park is located in central Florida, which is essentially swampland.  

“We continue to evaluate processes and procedures for our entire property, an, as part of this, we are reinforcing training with our cast for reporting sightings and interactions with wildlife and are expanding our communication to guests on this topic.”

“DANGER. ALLIGATORS AND SNAKES IN AREA. STAY AWAY FROM THE WATER. DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE,” the new signs clearly state.

This is in stark contrast to the old signs, which simply stated “NO SWIMMING.”

Graves was wading in the shallow of the lagoon during the resort’s movie night around 9:30 pm.  

According to wildlife experts, an alligator was feeding and may have noticed motion on the bank.  The alligator, it’s believed, mistook Graves for a raccoon or other prey.

After an extensive search of the lagoon, Graves’ body was found about 10-15 feet from where he was dragged.

Fellow resort guest Jennifer Venditti Roye told People that her son had waded in the same area just an hour before the attack.

“It could have been [my son],” she admitted. “We had been there every night. What a tragedy. 

“Not at all did that cross my mind that there would be alligators in that area.”

Disney Alligator Attack: Parents Of Lane Graves Break Their Silence

The unthinkable happened to Matt and Melissa Graves on June 14th, and now they have to return home to Nebraska without their son.

The parents, who attempted to rescue their two-year-old, Lane Graves from the mouth of an alligator, gave their first statement today.

“Words cannot describe the shock and grief our family is experiencing over the loss of our son,” the couple said, according to ABC News.

“We are devastated and ask for privacy during this extremely difficult time. To all of the local authorities and staff who worked tirelessly these past 24 hours, we express our deepest gratitude.”

At 9:16 on Wednesday night, the Graves were on the beach of the Grand Floridian Hotel in Walt Disney World for a movie night.  Graves waded into the man-made lake, even though “No Swimming” signs were posted.

Then, an alligator came from the lake and snatched the little boy, dragging him into water.

Tireless search-and-rescue efforts from first responders, law enforcement and Disney employees eventually found the body of the boy at around 1:45  on Tuesday afternoon.  Save for a few puncture wounds, authorities confirmed, his body was in tact.

What’s even more disturbing is that the body was located about ten to fifteen feet from where he was taken, under six feet of water.

Fellow resort guest Jennifer Venditti Roye posted photos of her own son, who waded in the water at the exact same location on the beach an hour earlier, to Facebook.

Venditti Roye did this to hit back at the online trolls who have been tormeting Graves’ parents for ignoring the “No Swimming” signs.

“There is a time to be critical when parents are doing drugs and their children get hurt,” Venditti Roye told People Magazine.

“But this is just not the time. It’s heartbreaking.”

The mom to three-year-old Channing said the accident hit way too close to home for her.

“It could have been [my son],” she admitted. “We had been there every night. What a tragedy.”

“Not at all did that cross my mind that there would be alligators in that area,” she said.

“There were tons of families just roasting marshmallows. The Grand Floridian had provided the activity for kids, right there on the beach,” Venditti Roye explained.

“And the water was just ankle deep. Where that beach is – it’s a small cove, so central, with the resort area built around it. There’s a pool nearby. It’s well-lit. Well-traveled. Not off the beaten path where you think anything would be lurking.

“I never would have dreamed in a million years that there would have been an alligator there.”

The Facebook post has been shared over 150,000 times.

“I can’t help but wonder if we played with him,” she wrote.

“Did I talk to his Mom? How does one go home without your baby in tow? PRAY, PRAY so hard for the family & for those who witnessed this tragic event.”

Disney Alligator Attack Witness: "Everything Unfolded In Less than 30 Seconds"

As his family grieves, witnesses are recalling how an alligator made a surprise attack on two-year-old Lane Graves on June 14th.

Graves was wading in the Seven Seas Lagoon at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort when an alligator emerged, snatched the little boy and dragged him underwater.

“We know that that happened and it is certainly not survivable at this point for him to have been submerged for that period of time,” Sheriff Jerry Demings said in a press conference before the body was found.

The Orlando Sentinel spoke to hotel guest Bill Wilson from Indiana, who saw the whole thing unfold from his balcony.

Wilson told the newspaper that at first, it sounded like a fight broke out on the beach.

“I looked over and here comes one of the lifeguards. He said, ‘Everybody get out of the water.’

“The mother was there and she was frantic, running up and down looking.”

The entire ordeal, Wilson recalled, happened in 30 seconds.  

A minute later, the alligator was gone, with Grave his in mouth.

Wilson saw the group – which included a lifeguard and Grave’s parents, gathered by the water’s edge.  That part of the beach was not lit, and it was very dark, he noted.

Almost immediately, Wilson said, first responders and Disney employees got to work searching for the little boy.

“Disney did every damn thing they could do to help,” he said.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings confirmed that divers found Graves’ body around 1:45 pm ET on June 15th in six feet of “murky” water, roughly 10-15 yards from where he was snatched.  

Other than a few puncture wounds, the body was in tact.

Graves was visiting Disney World with his older sister and their parents, Matt and Melissa from Nebraska.  They were enjoying their third day of vacation during the resort’s “Movie Night” on the beach.

“No Swimming” signs are posted on the beach, but there is no mention of being aware of alligators.

Photo Released of Toddler Attacked and Killed by Alligator

A photo of Lane Graves has been released to the public.

He’s the two-year old boy who was tragically pulled into the water by an alligator while on vacation at Walt Disney World with his family on Tuesday.

After several hours of searching for Graves, his body was discovered (completely intact) by Orange County Sheriff’s dive team on Wednesday afternoon.

The story has gone viral due to both its unusual nature and its utterly heartbreaking nature.

“At about 3:30 today we recovered the remains of the 2-year-old from the water and that body has been turned over to the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said in a press conference yesterday.

He added:

“Autopsy has to confirm, but there’s likely no question in my mind that the child was drowned by the alligator.

“The child was found within the immediate area of where he was last seen. It took some time to go through, but our divers were able to locate the body using sonar equipment.”

Graves and his family were on vacation at the famous resort, having flown in from their home town of Elkhorn, Nebraska.

The little boy and his father were playing near the water on Tuesday evening when the alligator came out of nowhere, snatching up the toddler.

According to The Associated Press, the boy’s dad tried desperately to fight off the animal, suffering lacerations on his hand, yet neither he nor a lifeguard could save the infant.

“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss. My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

It’s an unfathomable tragedy.

Our heart goes out to the child’s family and loved ones.

Disney CEO Speaks on Deadly Alligator Attack

By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the deadly alligator attack that claimed the life of two-year-old Lane Graves. 

The young boy boy was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon around 9:16 p.m on Tuesday night. 

A huge search mission was underway in order to retrieve the child’s body, with the corpse being tragically found last night.

The body was intact, making it appear as if the toddler died from drowning. But not all pieces of information are available at this time.

The search mission involved cutting open five alligators in order to check if there were any human remains inside them. 

Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bog Iger released a statement following the horrific attack.

“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies,” Iger said in a statement. 

The news obviously came as a huge shock to everyone.

It was the first in the resort’s 45-year history. 

The president of Walt Disney World Resort, told ABC News in a statement: “There are no words to convey the profound sorrow we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss.

“We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help the family during this difficult time. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we offer our deepest sympathies.”

When the attack occurred, Lane’s father and mother frantically tried to get their son back, but the alligator was too fast. 

Word came out that the whole thing happened in the space of 30 seconds. 

It’s such a horrible thing to happen and there will no doubt be new security measures in place to ensure that things like this don’t happen again. 

The family from Nebraska thought they were going on a fun family vacation, but their vacation was cut short by this tragic event. 

Florida has had a horrible week in the news.

We send our thoughts and prayers to the child’s family members and loved ones.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Disney CEO Speaks on Deadly Alligator Attack

By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the deadly alligator attack that claimed the life of two-year-old Lane Graves. 

The young boy boy was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon around 9:16 p.m on Tuesday night. 

A huge search mission was underway in order to retrieve the child’s body, with the corpse being tragically found last night.

The body was intact, making it appear as if the toddler died from drowning. But not all pieces of information are available at this time.

The search mission involved cutting open five alligators in order to check if there were any human remains inside them. 

Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bog Iger released a statement following the horrific attack.

“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies,” Iger said in a statement. 

The news obviously came as a huge shock to everyone.

It was the first in the resort’s 45-year history. 

The president of Walt Disney World Resort, told ABC News in a statement: “There are no words to convey the profound sorrow we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss.

“We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help the family during this difficult time. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we offer our deepest sympathies.”

When the attack occurred, Lane’s father and mother frantically tried to get their son back, but the alligator was too fast. 

Word came out that the whole thing happened in the space of 30 seconds. 

It’s such a horrible thing to happen and there will no doubt be new security measures in place to ensure that things like this don’t happen again. 

The family from Nebraska thought they were going on a fun family vacation, but their vacation was cut short by this tragic event. 

Florida has had a horrible week in the news.

We send our thoughts and prayers to the child’s family members and loved ones.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Body of Boy Dragged by Alligator Into Disney Lake Found; Victim Was 2

The body of a boy who was attacked by an alligator has been found dead.

At 3:30pm ET today, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said that officials had retrieved the boy’s remains, after he was pulled into the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon around 9:00 p.m. ET Wednesday night, according to NBC News.

The boy’s mother and father were watching as he waded “along the lake’s edge at the time that the alligator attacked” (their four-year-old daughter was about “20 to 30” yards away from the water).

When the search first kicked off, Demings explained during a press conference how the series of events was hopeful.

The father had tried to pry the alligator’s mouth open to release his son, and the mother ran into the water to try and save him as the reptile dragged his prey away.

A lifeguard called 911 immediately after being alerted, and soon boats from Disney and law enforcement were combing the waters, looking for the victim.

Sonar devices were used, divers and alligator trappers did their best, but the outlook grew grim as the hours went by.

In a press conference earlier today, Demings warned that people had to prepare for the worst.

“The sad reality of it is it’s been several hours, and we’re not likely going to recover a live body,” he said.

Signs are posted all over resort beaches in Disney World, and no swimming is allowed in any of the lakes.

“They [alligators] were probably attracted to some motion on the bank,” executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Nick Wiley explained, according to USA Today. “That’s the way they stalk their prey.”

Experts believe the alligator mistook the boy for a dog or a raccoon.

No other details about the victim or his parents are available as of press time.

Disney World Tragedy: Little Boy Dragged Into Water By Alligator

At around 9:00 p.m. ET, a Nebraska couple watch their two-year-old son wade in the shallows of Walt Disney World’s Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Hotel.

All of a sudden, the boy was snatched up by an alligator and dragged into the water.

“The father entered the water, and he tried to grab the child, but was not successful in doing so,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters during a press conference today.

The mother also went into the water to try and save her son.

The couple, who brought their 4-year-old daughter on the trip, alerted a nearby lifeguard who then called 911.

The father suffered only scratches while trying to remove the boy from the alligator’s jaw.

“They [alligators] were probably attracted to some motion on the bank,” executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Nick Wiley explained, according to USA Today.

“That’s the way they stalk their prey.”

Wiley added that the alligator could have mistaken the child for prey, as the reptile was likely feeding.

The lake is being searched by wildlife specialists, divers and a trained alligator trapper.  Four alligators have been removed, but no traces of the child were found.

Demings told reporters this morning that this was still considered a “search and rescue operation,” adding that he and all though involved in looking for the boy were “very hopeful.

“Sometimes you get the worst, but we are hoping for the best,” he said.

As the search continued, Demings changed his tune.

The sad reality of it is it’s been several hours, and we’re not likely going to recover a live body,” he said, according to CNN.

No Swimming signs are posted to all beach areas of the land-locked resort, which has never had an accident like this.

Florida Man Arrested For Throwing Alligator Into Wendy"s Drive-Thru Window

An obvious troubled Florida man is facing charges of aggravated assault after throwing an alligator into a Wendy’s drive-thru window.

Joshua James, 23, has been accused of hucking the live animal through the drive-thru window at the Royal Palm Beach, Fla., franchise.

His mother reportedly told local media outlets that he wanted to play a practical joke on his friend, who worked at the establishment.

The animal was captured and released back into the wild. As for where one gets a gator to toss at a pal inside a fast food restaurant?

James, of Jupiter, Fla., found the alligator on the side of a road and lured it into the back of his truck, according to an incident report.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says he threw the three-foot long animal through the window after ordering a drink.

Officials say the incident actually happened in October but the suspect has only now been taken into custody for unknown reasons.

In addition to assault, the 23-year-old miscreant faces charges of unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator … obviously.

View Slideshow: Florida Man: Strange Sunshine State Stories