It looked like it was going to be pretty spectacular, but I had no idea what was in store for me.
It was just me there at the pier - no one else.
I looked around and noticed that the alligators were back. They had been missing all winter long.
Then I heard something big moving fast in the brush behind me. And a really loud squeal. It sounded like a stuck pig. It was very loud and high-pitched and somewhat spooky like an animal dying. It was coming from behind me in the rushes. Then I heard a loud CHOMP! and CRACK! like bones being crunched. Then the squeal abrubtly cut off and I noticed the gator in the water running into the brush almost like he was planning to share a snack. It was more than a little unnerving. I raced halfway up the pier and climbed onto a bench and looked into the brush to see what was eating and what was being eaten. Then directly in front of me, I see some of the rushes move and hear something small running through making a sharp trilling noise.
I looked down and then I noticed this little guy. He was running around frantically and making this shrill crying/warbling noise. I surmised then that it was his mother that was eaten by a gator. I felt so bad for the little fellow that I was tempted to get him and take him home. But there's no way I could climb down to the ground from where I was and who knows if he had rabies or something. Still, my heart went out to him. I hope he found his family or some close relatives to live with. It was heart-wrenching to watch him run around so lost and frantically calling for help.
Soon he disappeared back into the brush, still calling for his mother. I headed home a little saddened but also a little excited. It just goes to show that you never know what to expect when you go out to our pier. Who needs Animal Planet when you have stuff like this happen in your backyard?
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