Texas Animal Control Finds Inflatable Alligator Instead of Sick Creature
(Andre Pinto / Getty Images)
A seemingly sick alligator in Texas was not what it seemed when animal control arrived.
On Thursday, the Sugar Land Animal Services Facebook account shared a story about several Animal Services Officers responding to a call about what looked to be a sick alligator.
When they got closer, they found that the alligator was not alive at all. It never was. It was an inflatable pool floatie.
To be fair, the floatie does look quite convincing, and would be especially tough to decipher by an onlooker who did not want to get close and put themselves at risk.
Thankfully, the officers had a good sense of humor about the honest mistake, as they posted several close-up photos of the floatie, including one where the officer’s hand is in the fake alligator’s open mouth.
The Facebook post also added a joke about the mistake in the caption, writing, “Remember: if you ever spot wildlife that looks sick or injured, please keep a safe distance and call the experts to handle it. You never know if it’s the real deal!”
Alligators are fairly common in the Sugar Land area, which is presumably why the Animal Services Officers did not think anything was wrong when they responded to the alligator sighting.
That being said, they might ask for a little more information the next time they are informed about what looked to be a gator that is frozen in place.
Related: Slice of Ham Saves Kitten Trapped Under Car in Unusual California Rescue
This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: Nature
