In a dramatic footage, which has now gone viral on several social media platforms, 74-year-old Richard Wilbanks can be seen jumping into his backyard pond to save his three-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel from the alligator.
In Florida, alligators are a common sight and are often spotted wandering around in people’s backyards, swimming pools and golf courses. Recently, a man had his heart in his mouth when he found his pet dog in the grasp of an alligator. With no one around to help, the 74-year-old decided to take matters in his own hands.
In the dramatic footage, which has now gone viral on several social media platforms, Richard Wilbanks can be seen jumping into his backyard pond to save his three-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel from the alligator.
“We were just out walking by the pond,” Wilbanks told CNN, “and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick.”
The septuagenarian managed to rescue the puppy “Gunner” from its jaws. Narrating the dramatic incident, Wilbanks said while holding the alligator was not so tough, prying open its jaws were “extremely hard.”
Gunner had a wound in his belly but is fine after a trip to the veterinarian. Wilbanks told the website that his hands were “chewed up” and he had to get a tetanus shot from the doctor.
The couple took Gunner to the animal hospital. Amazingly, the little guy was doing just fine. They found a puncture wound but X-rays revealed no internal damage aside from having a little water in his lungs. They kept him a few days in the hospital to recover.
He has as much energy and zest for life as he ever did. One change, however, is that Richard picked him up a new leash for their walks.
“A new leash on life,” Richard quipped.
Richard’s daring rescue of Gunner was only captured on video due to cameras that had been put up in the area by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fstop Foundation. The organizations use the video recorded by the cameras to track wildlife in the area.
Source
In Florida, alligators are a common sight and are often spotted wandering around in people’s backyards, swimming pools and golf courses. Recently, a man had his heart in his mouth when he found his pet dog in the grasp of an alligator. With no one around to help, the 74-year-old decided to take matters in his own hands.
In the dramatic footage, which has now gone viral on several social media platforms, Richard Wilbanks can be seen jumping into his backyard pond to save his three-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel from the alligator.
“We were just out walking by the pond,” Wilbanks told CNN, “and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick.”
The septuagenarian managed to rescue the puppy “Gunner” from its jaws. Narrating the dramatic incident, Wilbanks said while holding the alligator was not so tough, prying open its jaws were “extremely hard.”
Gunner had a wound in his belly but is fine after a trip to the veterinarian. Wilbanks told the website that his hands were “chewed up” and he had to get a tetanus shot from the doctor.
He has as much energy and zest for life as he ever did. One change, however, is that Richard picked him up a new leash for their walks.
“A new leash on life,” Richard quipped.
Richard’s daring rescue of Gunner was only captured on video due to cameras that had been put up in the area by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fstop Foundation. The organizations use the video recorded by the cameras to track wildlife in the area.
Source
A happy ending