Massive alligator blocks plane at Air Force base in Florida, fights with wildlife officers

TAMPA, Fla. ( WFLA ) — An alligator caused some trouble at an Air Force base in Florida after wandering onto the tarmac and settling down underneath a tanker plane.

In a photo posted by MacDill Air Force Base, located just south of Tampa, the alligator appeared to be relaxing under the wheels of the aircraft.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission arrived to remove the scaly intruder, but it didn’t go without a fight.

Video uploaded to the base’s Facebook page showed two FWC officers wrangle the sometimes-thrashing gator, but they were ultimately able to subdue it.

The gator was released into the Hillsborough River, according to MacDill AFB.

“Our newest toothy Airman has been relocated to a more suitable environment off base,” the base wrote. “Special thanks to FWC for the assist.”

Per the base’s Facebook post, the FWC believed the alligator was “pushed” out of its home by Elvis, an even larger alligator known to reside in the area.

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