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Poncho The Alligator: Gator Nation Hero

By mlmintampa

On occasion, a Gator grad or someone connected to alligators makes it way into our hearts. When that happens, they are a Gator Nation Hero.

Today's story comes from South Florida where an alligator took matters into his own hands. Police reports state that two men were breaking into cars at the Miccosukee Indian Reservation casino. Police chased the suspects, and caught one while the other jumped into a pond. That's where things took a bloody turn.

Eyewitnesses told WPLG that bystanders on the bank of the pond saw the gator, which the station reported was nicknamed "Poncho" by resort employees, and urged the man to swim back to shore, but he eventually screamed before disappearing underwater. The body of the man, who has not been identified by police, was discovered by divers Friday, 50 feet below the water's surface.

Since the gator killed someone, he has to be put down. They also believe that the gator had been fed by humans, which made him more aggressive than normal. Which gives us this fantastic quote.

"Some gators have a nasty disposition, and he was a nasty gator," Brian Wood (owner of a gator farm) told WPLG. "He seemed to have no fear of people, which indicates that he was fed."

In all seriousness, man-eating alligators are pretty damn scary. And while we would like to see the species treated with respect, gators like this should be put down, even if they don't eat people. With that said, how awesome would it be if UF had a live mascot? It could eat Mike The Tiger and Uga!

So we salute Poncho The Alligator! Since you're dead now, Alligator Army pours out a glass of Gatorade in your honor.

Oh, and that is a picture of Poncho from WPLG. Handsome, isn't he?