Only in Florida: Video shows Sandhill cranes helping alligator cross the road

PINE ISLAND, Fla. - Well, here's something you don't see every day. 

A video posted to social media appears to show two Sandhill cranes helping a young alligator cross a Florida road. Shannon Duke, who took a video of the incredible sighting, said it happened in Pine Island in Hernando County earlier this month.

The Hernando Beach woman posted the video on Facebook with the caption, "Never thought I’d witness this! Only in Florida!" The post got over 1,000 interactions, nearly 300 shares and hundreds of comments. 

Many people jokingly referred to the cranes as "crossing guards," while others said they've witnessed similar crane and gator encounters.

Duke told FOX 35 News she spotted the cranes and the gator in the water and initially thought the gator was going after the birds.

It turns out the birds were bothering the gator, she said. "After a short bit, the gator made its move and you see the rest," Duke said in a statement. "We were shocked by what we saw. It was a true escort across the street!"

Are alligators afraid of Sandhill cranes?

Savannah Boan, a crocodilian enrichment coordinator at Gatorland, previously told FOX 35 News that Sandhill cranes don’t get afraid very easily.

Their secret weapon against alligators is their ability to appear big like a human and spread their wings to intimidate gators.

Though alligators are opportunistic predators, it is rare for alligators to target cranes. 

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