Texas Officers Answered a Call About a Sick Alligator. It Was a Runaway Pool Floatie.

SUGAR LAND, Texas, Nov. 14, 2026 — The call came in to Sugar Land Animal Services about an alligator that didn't look well. It wasn't moving much. It also, it turned out, wasn't breathing, because it had never been alive.

"When ASO Perez arrived on the scene to investigate, she was in for a big surprise," the department posted, according to UPI. "What looked very real from a distance turned out to be a runaway pool floatie."

The department shared close-up photos of the inflatable gator on Facebook, including one with the officer's hand resting in its open mouth, Parade reported.

To be fair to the caller, this is not a ridiculous place to see a gator. Alligators live in Fort Bend County, and Sugar Land Animal Services relocates real ones under 4 feet long, Yahoo News reported, citing the city. They're most active from April through July, which made a motionless one in November a reasonable cause for concern.

The department said the mix-up gave its team "a good laugh" but that the resident did exactly the right thing. "Remember: if you ever spot wildlife that looks sick or injured, please keep a safe distance and call the experts to handle it," it wrote. "You never know if it's the real deal."

Commenters had their own takes. "So it's a blow-up doll for gators," one wrote.