Girl goes for a walk with alligator: his owner gives the all-clear
Created: 05/09/2022, 2:30 p.m
By: Jasmine Farah
What a shock for the visitors: A girl does not have a dog, but an alligator on a leash.
She walks through a crowded park with it.
It's an unusual sight, even for Florida: A young girl walks all alone through a busy water park with her "pet".
However, this is not a dog, but a small alligator.
But that doesn't seem to bother the little one.
Girl walks Alligator: He's a star on TikTok
She walks next to him completely relaxed and because it is so hot that day, she leads the alligator through a water feature.
He is obviously very happy about the cooling, because he only takes a few steps and then drops to the ground.
Many people gather around the scene, looking in disbelief at this.
An anonymous person even films the unlikely couple at "Love Park" in Philadelphia.
Certainly some visitors who live there will have seen or know about an alligator.
After all, in Florida they are mostly found around the Everglades and in canals and lakes.
Alligators prefer fresh water but are predominantly found on the Gulf side to the west, fed by the Mississippi River.
Still, it's certainly not often that a resident keeps an alligator as a pet and is comfortable with him in public.
Girl walks alligator: he "supports" his owner during chemo
But the seven-year-old alligator, who is apparently called "Wally" and is a big star on TikTok, actually seems to be quite tame.
On his personal TikTok page, on which he is followed by almost 74,500 users, there are constantly video clips in which he is making the area unsafe.
Splashing around in the lake, going for a walk or cuddling: "WallyGator", as he is affectionately called by his owners, has no problem with the amount of attention he gets.
You also learn from his profile that his owner is Joie, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
The elderly gentleman even had the alligator officially registered as an “emotional support animal”.
These are pets that are intended to provide support in emotionally and psychologically stressful situations.
In addition, Wally is said to be just one of many reptiles that Joie keeps at home.
Accordingly, it is further said on the page that the family also runs a “reptile sanctuary”.
Wally was also nominated for America's Favorite Pet.
If he wins, his notoriety will surely skyrocket beyond Florida's borders.