Alligator Enters North Carolina Bagel Shop Before Relocation

A 3-foot alligator entered Bagel Dock Express in Southport, North Carolina, last Thursday, walking through the back door, crossing the stockroom and reaching the front counter. Police officers and animal protective services later captured the reptile and relocated it safely.

Surveillance footage recorded the unexpected visit, which startled employees and customers. One customer even grabbed a chair to defend himself against the unexpected visitor, according to the footage shared by the business.

Shop owner Jesse Driscoll was installing a new oven when the alligator entered the establishment. He described the incident as an experience he never expected to encounter while running a bagel shop.

"It was just so far out of the ordinary for a bagel shop. You can see lots of things. People coming in.

Friends coming in to say hi. But never in a million years did I think I'd see an alligator," said Driscoll.

The reptile was probably a federally protected American alligator. Southport police officers and animal protective services intervened to remove it from the premises.

The Southport Police Department confirmed the successful operation in a social media statement.

"Southport Police Department officers, along with APS Officer Ward, removed an alligator from inside Bagel Dock late this afternoon. The gator was safely captured and relocated," the department said.

Bagel Dock Express also responded humorously on social media, suggesting that its products might have attracted the unexpected visitor.

"Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp!" the business joked.

The incident comes amid broader concerns about increasing encounters between people and alligators in coastal North Carolina. Earlier this year, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission warned residents and visitors against feeding or interacting with the reptiles.

The commission said biologists working with its wildlife helpline were receiving "several calls per day as public encounters with alligators" increased during the animals' mating season.

Although the bagel shop incident occurred outside the mating season, wildlife management district biologist John Henry Harrelson said encounters between humans and alligators were becoming more frequent in coastal areas.

Harrelson explained that feeding the animals can change their behavior and make them associate people with food.

"People feeding alligators ultimately leads to those animals seeing humans as a potential source for food," said Harrelson.

He also warned that alligators could lose their natural fear of humans when people repeatedly feed them, increasing the possibility of dangerous encounters.

"Naturally, alligators are shy, but through feeding, alligators can lose their fear of humans, and that leads to a possible negative interaction between people and wildlife," Harrelson said.

In response to the growing number of encounters, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission developed GatorWise, a checklist designed to help residents and visitors avoid potentially dangerous interactions.

The guidelines advise people to assume alligators may be present, never feed them, and avoid throwing fish or food scraps into the water. They also warn against harassing, capturing or handling alligators.

The commission further recommends supervising children and pets and remaining alert whenever people are in or near water.