Alligator sightings are pretty common in the Sunshine State. The hefty predators turn up in swimming pools and suburban gardens on a fairly regular basis. But a gator dragging the remains of a meal across a road while an entourage of black vultures skulk close behind? That’s crazy even by Florida standards.
A clip posted to Twitter by Ray Walker, and later shared by CBS 12 News, shows a seemingly unconcerned gator lumbering across a road in Parkland, Florida with what looks to be the remains of a carcass hanging from its jaws. A flock of black vultures excitedly trail behind hoping to get at the scraps.
Some online commenters have raised concerns that the alligator might be carrying a discarded fishing net, but Walker suspects that it must have been the remains of a carcass given the interest shown by the scavenging birds.
Black vultures are often spotted along highway margins nibbling on roadkill or swarming on top of dumpsters scouring for snacks. They will eat whatever carrion they can find and use their keen eyesight to spot a potential meal. Their sense of smell is not as sophisticated as other scavenging birds, so they may be seen hanging out with larger and more adept sniffers like turkey vultures that will be able to track down a meal.
