FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ It wasn't a routine call to the Miami Gardens Police Department dispatch.
"You have a what in where?" the dispatcher replied to the caller, who reported that a small gator had shown up at a gas station early Tuesday morning, according to a tweet the department shared.
Officers responded to the Marathon gas station at Northwest 171st Street and Northwest 27th Avenue.
"Thankfully officer Blanco & officer Velez are skilled wildlife handlers," the tweet read. The officers also snapped photos with the reptile inside and outside the property.
And the gator? It was returned to its natural habitat, the police department said, following a recommendation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Although the calendar says it's fall, gators are still active and visible throughout the state where they're spotted in canals, lakes, golf courses and people's properties, according to the commission. Two weeks ago, they provided tips on how to co-exist and stay safe around gators.
