‘Monster’ alligator recorded wandering among homes in Myrtle Beach neighborhood

An alligator estimated at 10 feet in length came out of nowhere in a Myrtle Beach neighborhood, leaving some neighbors scrambling to keep their distance.

Multiple videos shared on Facebook show the alligator was given a wide berth as it left the roadway and walked across yards, driveways, and in one case, someone’s front porch.

It happened Sunday in Myrtle Beach Golf & Yacht Club, and some neighbors reportedly watched while sitting in the safety of parked cars. The club borders the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.

“Look what I came home to. Right outside my neighbor’s house. Omg,” Margie Meek posted on Facebook. “It was so cool. He seemed so docile but I know he wasn’t. It was freaking amazing!”

Alligators are fierce predators that can grow over 13 feet in South Carolina and weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds, experts say. They are not averse to eating dogs and can live more than 60 years.

Meek gave periodic social media updates on the alligator’s “sauntering,” noting at one point: “He’s on my neighbor’s porch. We’re trying to get a hold of (the neighbor) so he doesn’t come out.”

Tom Hobby also posted video on Facebook, showing the gator emerging from bushes in one yard and walking unchallenged across the next-door neighbor’s driveway.

Homeowners in the golf club are accustomed to seeing alligators in area waterways, but that didn’t make the alligator’s breech of etiquette less intimidating, WPDE reported.

“I was a coward and hung out in my car,” Meek told the TV station.

Some commenters on Facebook began referring to the golf club as “Jurassic Park” and questioning whether neighbors — and their pets — were safe there.

“Good thing it wasn’t nighttime. You may have not seen the monster until it was to late,” Toni Ann Pernice posted.

“Seriously then why is this monster out & about in someone’s yard right now,” Debra Balfe Gronsky wrote. “And I don’t want to hear it was their territory first. They are aggressive predators. I’m sure he’s hungry.”

Many commenters also expressed concern for the alligator, fearing state wildlife officers might euthanize it for being a nuisance. However, Meek reported it found its way back to water in the area.

This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 7:32 AM with the headline "‘Monster’ alligator recorded wandering among homes in Myrtle Beach neighborhood."