By Basant El-Faramawy
Surveillance cameras captured a 3-foot alligator wandering into a bagel shop in Southport, North Carolina, startling employees and customers last Thursday.
Alligator enters bagel shop
Shop owner Jesse Driscoll was installing a new oven when the reptile walked through the back door, passed through the stockroom and reached the front counter. One customer grabbed a chair to defend against the intruder.
Safe removal and wildlife response
Southport police and animal protective services safely captured and relocated the alligator, which is likely a federally protected American alligator. The incident follows warnings from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission about rising human-alligator encounters in coastal areas.
GatorWise awareness campaign
Biologist John Henry Harrelson said feeding alligators causes them to lose their natural fear of humans, increasing the risk of negative interactions. The commission's GatorWise checklist advises residents to assume alligators are present, never feed them, and maintain awareness near water. Bagel Dock Express joked on social media that word of their fresh bagels had reached the swamp.
