This baby alligator never stood a chance against a bobcat.
Mother nature is a harsh mistress and many animals end up as just another link in the food chain. Many times, it is animals that are often considered top predators. Take the American alligator for instance. These reptiles are often considered apex predators, but when they are young, they are quite vulnerable to a bevy of threats.
One of those threats comes from the fast and clever bobcat. While we know that bobcats and alligators sometimes come into conflict in the wild, we rarely get the chance to witness it firsthand.
However, one of these encounters was recently captured in a Port Charlotte, Florida backyard. The person who took the video first noticed the bobcat when a baby alligator makes the mistake of walking onto a back patio. What happens next is nature and the food chain at work. A warning that there is some language in this video.
That may have been the most "Florida man" commentary we have heard on a viral video yet. That baby alligator never had a chance in this encounter. For all their sharp teeth, these guys are quite vulnerable until they grow larger and have no more natural predators. Until then, young gators are picked off by birds, bears, hawks, eagles, snakes, coyotes, and other creatures.
As humans continue to encroach on earth's natural areas, encounters like this are becoming more and more common in people's backyards. We have seen several videos already this year of bobcats hunting near human habitations and we are sure we will see more in the years to come.
If anything, this is one positive of cell phone cameras these days. Previously unseen encounters like this are captured and shared for the whole world to see. If it can get just a few more people interested in nature and the outdoors, that is a win in our book!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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