A bagel shop owner got an unexpected scare when a 3-foot alligator wandered into his business, turning an ordinary afternoon into a wildlife encounter caught on surveillance video.
The reptile entered Bagel Dock Express in Southport on Oct. 29, slipping through an open back door and making its way through the kitchen toward the front counter.
Surveillance owner Jesse Driscoll’s startled reaction when he spotted the alligator inside the shop. Driscoll quickly backed away from the animal before calling 911.
The business was closed to customers at the time, and Driscoll told WWAY News that he had been distracted by workers installing a new oven when the unexpected visitor appeared.
“It’s just so far out of the ordinary for a bagel shop,” Driscoll told the media outlet.
The shop owner said he was accustomed to seeing familiar faces stop by the business, but an alligator was something he never imagined encountering.
Southport police and Animal Protective Services responded to the business and removed the reptile.
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The confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, saying officers worked alongside Animal Protective Services Officer Ward to capture the alligator and relocate it.
Bagel Dock Express also made light of the encounter in a Facebook post, joking that its reputation had apparently reached beyond its usual customers.
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“Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp!” the post’s caption began.
“Our surprise visitor was safely escorted out by local law enforcement. No injuries, no drama⦠just one VERY unusual customer! Fresh bagels. Wild experiences.”
The encounter was not Southport’s first unusual alligator sighting this year.
In April, officers helped remove a 12-foot alligator from a residential property and another alligator found beneath a car at a bank drive-through.
