Florida Man Saving Dog From Alligator

About

Florida Man Saving Dog From Alligator is a viral video featuring a 74-year-old man saving a 3-month-old puppy from the mouth of an alligator. The video was captured by cameras placed by Florida Wildlife Federation and the fStop Foundation. The dog suffered minor injuries, according to the owner.

Origin

On October 25th, 2020, a camera by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fStop Foundation captured Richard Wilbanks, 74, rescuing his 3-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Gunner, from the mouth of an alligator, without dropping the cigar from his mouth.

The following month, on November 19th, TikToker @wingwomanmc shared the video. They received more than 13.8 million views, 1.2 million reactions and 39,000 comments in less than one week (shown below).

Spread

Over the weekend, the video continued to spread. On November 21st, 2020, a Bay Area ABC affiliate shared the video on YouTube. The post received more than 1.9 million views in less than one week (shown below).

The video spread on Reddit as well. On November 20th, Redditor PussyWhistle shared the video in the /r/nextfuckinglevel^[1] subreddit. The post received more than 74,000 points (95% upvoted) and 3,200 comments in less than one week. This Redditor also shared the video in the /r/PublicFreakout^[2] subreddit, where it received more than 48,000 points (94% upvoted) and 1,900 comments in less than one week. Over the weekend, other threads on Reddit received more than 3,000 points.^[3][4][5]

On November 22nd, writer Juna Vidal tweeted the video with the caption, "saved the puppy from getting eaten by an alligator and never dropped his cigar, a true legend." The tweet received more than 12 million views, 351,000 likes and 95,000 retweets in less than one week (shown below).

Wilbanks Response

On November 20th, 2020, Wink News^[6] published an interview with the dog's owner Richard Wilbanks, who confirmed that the dog had made a recovery. "He just came out like a missile," said Wilbanks. "They’re like children to us, so there was no second thought whatsoever."

"He had one little puncture wound, and … my hands were just chewed up[…]Fortunately, I was in a position that I was able to save Gunner’s life."

In a statement, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have not received a report of this incident and the video shared is not the property of FWC.

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. Do not allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in or near waters that may contain alligators. Keep pets on a short leash and away from the water.

Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will dispatch one of our contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the situation. FWC also works to keep Floridians and visitors informed, including providing advice about Living with Alligators.

Media Coverage

Several media outlets covered the story, including Wink News,^[6] CNN,^[7] Fox News,^[8] The Guardian^[9] and more.

On November 23rd, 2020, an ABC affiliate published the video on Facebook. ^[10] The post received more than 2.5 million views.

Search Interest

Not available.

External References