Sandhill Crane Scares Off 8-Foot Gator In Sarasota Neighborhood: Watch

SARASOTA, FL — In a tense showdown Friday morning, a sandhill crane bravely took on an alligator and managed to scare the reptile off.

Laura Akin, who caught the confrontation on camera behind her Sarasota home around 11 a.m., estimates the gator was about 8 feet long. (Watch her video below.)

Three Canadian geese looked on as the large bird spread its wings to intimidate the gator, who turns around and runs back into the water, the video shows.

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“I saw the geese and the crane and thought it would be a great photo. As I sat down, I caught the movement in the water and realized a gator was joining the party,” Akin told Patch. “My heart was definitely racing a bit since I had no idea what to expect with this kind of encounter. I was also about 40 feet away, and aware the gator could head my way and knowing how fast they can move, I was a little anxious. Still, seeing it all unfold was amazing.”

The showdown continued after she stopped recording. The crane and gator moved in tandem along the berm — the crane staying on land, the gator in the water — for another half hour, she said.

Akin said that she’s “fortunate” to regularly spot wildlife behind her Manatee County home.

“There are at least (two) gators that are frequently seen in the ponds behind our homes and a wide variety of birds, fish, turtles, etc.,” she said.

It’s also not the first time she’s watched a crane try to frighten off a foe.

“I’ve definitely seen that reaction from a crane many times, but not in relation to a gator,” Akin said. “That was a first for me. These (two) creatures are both regulars here.”

The Florida sandhill crane can reach a height of 47.2 inches with an impressive wingspan of about 78.7 inches, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Gators don’t usually prey on sandhill cranes, but it doesn’t mean they won’t try if they have the chance, Savannah Boan, a crocodilian enrichment coordinator for Gatorland, told Fox 35.

"They are opportunistic predators, so they’ll grab one if they get close, but in a scenario like that, where there’s a small alligator like that and a huge looking Sandhill crane, the alligator’s always going to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a monster, I got to get out of here,’” she said.

Gators are more active right now as the mating season begins. Courtship usually starts in early April, with mating taking place in May and June, the FWC said.

Female gators build their mound nests and lay anywhere from 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July. These eggs hatch from mid-August to early September.

Watch a sandhill crane take on an alligator below: