Fairfax County Police removed an alligator from outside a Virginia motel early Monday after a caller reported seeing it near their room.
Around 12:10 a.m., officers arrived to the motel in the 5900 block of Richmond Highway, where they found the alligator and its owner.
Investigators believe the owner was transferring the animal from New York to North Carolina for a zoo.
The encounter was captured on police body camera footage. An officer can be heard saying, “There is actually an alligator outside the motel.”
The cop approaches cautiously, shining his light on the reptile and estimates its size as roughly six feet. The footage shows the alligator being led along the motel walkway, maybe by its owner.
The officer also advises motel guests to bring their dogs inside.
Virginia law restricts the possession of certain exotic animals that are not native to the state, according to officials. Police securely took the owner and alligator out of the county.
There were no injuries reported, and the owner was not cited.
