A man risked his life to save that of his beloved puppy's from the grip of an alligator in Florida.
The dramatic rescue was all recorded by nearby surveillance cameras and both man and canine are fine.
Richard Wilbanks says his instincts and adrenaline kicked in when a gator snatched his dog, Gunner, and dragged him into a pond. He immediately jumped into the water to save his pet.
Mr WIlbanks called the encounter a learning experience. "He just came out like a missile," he said.
Florida Wildlife Federation said that serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, but hopes the video of Wilbanks' encounters leads to a better relationship between people and wildlife.
In a statement it said: "We encourage everyone to take precautionary measures, particularly those who live or recreate near the water. Dogs and cats are similar in size to the natural prey of alligators."
Neither Mr Wilbanks nor his pet were seriously injured in the incident.
"He had one little puncture wound, and … my hands were just chewed up," Mr Wilbanks said.
Even after being dragged underwater in the jaws of a gator, Gunner is doing fine.
"Fortunately, I was in a position that I was able to save Gunner’s life," Mr Wilbanks said.
Meredith Budd is the regional policy director of the Florida Wildlife Federation. She said they typically capture videos of things such as deer or bobcats in the wildlife. It's not often they record activity like what Mr Wilbanks and Gunner experienced.
The federation’s video partnership with fSTOP is part of a campaign called "Sharing the Landscape."
A man risked his life to save that of his beloved puppy's from the grip of an alligator in Florida – neither were seriously injured in the incident. Florida Wildlife Federation said that serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in the US state | https://t.co/gmOvJMqqQt pic.twitter.com/76tgbmfKlC
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"We live on a shared landscape," Ms Budd said. "We don’t just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape."
The goal is to help people appreciate and understand the wildlife they live near and help reduce the conflicts that can sometimes happen between people and nature.
"It gives us a new appreciation," said Louise Wilbanks, Richard’s wife. "We do need to be aware they are wild animals. They’re not here for our benefit. We’re very luck to share this space with them."
Mr Wilbanks said he understood that the incident happened in the gator’s home and that it was just doing what a gator does to survive, and that was why he decided not to call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Gunner is now a little hesitant getting near the water, but because Wilbanks calls this a learning experience., he is keeping Gunner away from the water now and always on a leash.
"I would like to emphasise for people that have pets is to make sure that they keep them away from the edge of the water," Mr Wilbanks said.
