When it comes to animals in the wild, often, fact is stranger than fiction. Seeing them in their natural element, even if that’s inside a state park, you just never know what you’ll encounter. That’s what happened to a group of friends who decided to go hiking.
Turf wars
The thing about wild animals is they’re protective over their turf. They have these hidden boundaries that other species know not to cross. When fights do break out, they usually involve the same type of animal or those similar.
A beautiful day for a hike
On a beautiful day in Florida, a group of friends decided to go hiking inside a state park. With cameras in hand, they hoped to see some amazing creatures. But what happened is they had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Walking down a path
As they ventured deeper into the park, the group came upon beautiful wild horses. Standing only yards away, these animals were so majestic and powerful. So, they had to take photos to capture their presence.
More than they hoped to see
Coming so close to these gorgeous horses would’ve been enough to make the friends happy. But what they didn’t know is that things were about to change. And in a very big way.
Then, they spotted it
While the horses were on the right side of the path, something on the left side caught their attention. As they looked that way, they couldn’t believe what they saw. Also, just yards away from them, was a massive alligator.
Sensing trouble
The friends could tell the horses were getting agitated. What started as one horse was now a herd. And they were all carefully watching the alligator as it slowly crept closer to them.
The friends were holding their breath
Something didn’t seem right. Initially, the horses were calm and acting as though they didn’t have a care in the world. But now, they were all staring at the approaching alligator with their ears erect and nostrils flaring.
It got too close
Not comfortable with how close the alligator was to the horses, a stallion stepped forward. With this head down, the friends could tell he was in a fighting stance. Then, in the blink of an eye, the horse lunged toward the dangerous beast.
Lunging wasn’t enough
This stallion meant business. And he wanted to make sure the alligator knew he had crossed the invisible boundary. With lightning-fast speed, the horse was on top of the gator, jumping on it with his hooves as hard as he could.
It won’t be back
Let’s just say that by the time the horse was done doling out his punishment, the alligator probably won’t ever come back. With the friends capturing everything on video, the beast hastily retreated away from the horses. Satisfied with his work, the stallion headed back to the herd.
Fortunately for online viewers, this group of friends shared the fantastic footage. Since uploading it on social media, the video has garnered almost one million views. If you enjoy wild animal videos, this is one you don’t want to miss … just click on it below.
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Source: Fox 13 News, Fox 13 Tampa Bay
