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Mar 31

450-lb. Gator Living Outside Coca-Cola Factory Moved and Put on Diet – PEOPLE

Diet Comments Off on 450-lb. Gator Living Outside Coca-Cola Factory Moved and Put on Diet – PEOPLE

A 450-pound alligator who lived behind a former Florida Coca-Cola plant was moved from his current habitation and put on a diet to lose some weight, according to a Croc Encounters Reptile Park and Alligator Farm Facebook announcement.

On Friday the 9-foot alligator aptly named Coca-Cola was removed from Temple Terrace, Fla., after neighbors expressed concern about a damaged fence near the pond the reptile was residing in, Croc Encounters' Karina Paner confirms with PEOPLE.

Karina tells PEOPLE that Coca-Cola was "well over" the standard size of a 9-foot alligator, confirming that an animal that size is "typically around maybe 200 pounds."

Although some neighbors would illegally feed him chicken and a few too many hams, said Croc Encounters Director John Paner, some grew concerned when the fencing fell apart.

Croc Encounters/Facebook

"We have children that run all over this place and they're wonderful. They're the cutest kids, but I could see them getting in trouble. I could see them crawling through there," resident Catherine Burton said of the hole no longer separating the animal from the public, per Fox 13.

Once people start feeding alligators they become a nuisance by no fault of their own and must be removed from the wild as they begin to approach people for food, read the Croc Encounters statement.

Along with feeding the wild animal, Karina explains that he was in a "small area." The reptile "was not able to really move around as much as maybe a wild alligator that's going out hunting for their food," says Karina. "So all those things contribute to an alligator becoming overweight, like he is."

But after his presence was reported, residents were worried Coca-Cola would be killed.

"We had several phone calls from people in the neighborhood asking what can we do. We told them that wed be willing to take him, but it all has to go through the legal channels, John told Fox 13. They wanted him not to be killed so I guess things worked out for him.

"I don't want no harm happening to him. He's really part of the Temple Terrace community," said one resident, Sarah Lanyos, per Fox 13.

Croc Encounters/Facebook

Coca-Cola was captured by Greg Pollock. Karina tells PEOPLE that the animal was then "immediately" taken to Croc Encounters, and veterinarians agreed to put the 450-pound animal on a diet. "Hes very overweight. Hes got to slim down. It's unhealthy, John told Fox 13.

"That's a little heavy for that animal," John told WFLA-TV.

"All of our alligators get a mix of pellet diet," John said of the animals new and more appropriate diet. "We'll also feed fish, we also feed chicken, we'll do that on a regular basis, and hopefully he'll slim down a bit."

Croc Encounters/Facebook

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises people to keep a safe distance from alligators and swim in designated areas during daytime hours.

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450-lb. Gator Living Outside Coca-Cola Factory Moved and Put on Diet - PEOPLE

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