5-foot gator ‘just chillin’ in sewer stares back at camera, Florida video shows
A camera sent into the sewers of Oviedo, Florida, found a 5-foot alligator lounging in the dark and it’s suspected the reptile may live in the subterranean pipes that crisscross the city.
That’s because a gator of about the same size was recorded during a camera survey in 2023.
“He’s back! We did a routine check of the pipe under Lockwood Blvd and discovered our friend was back, just chillin’,” the city wrote in a May 15 Facebook post.
“We aren’t sure if this is the same alligator from a few years ago, but it’s just as fun to watch!”
The camera entered the concrete pipes to inspect for damage and video shows it encountered the alligator about 90 feet in, sitting in a puddle. The alligator responded by waddling about 250 feet deeper into the pipe, in search of deeper water. It was last seen with just its head exposed, giving the camera serious side-eye treatment.
Four thousand people had watched the video within a day, including some who suggested the city start a live-streaming service from the sewer for subscribers. Names for the alligator have also been suggested, including the Pipe Puppy and the Oviedo Pipe Gator.
“I wish there was 24 hour Sewer Alligator Cam …. I’d watch it,” Leigh-Ann Tepper posted on the city’s Facebook page.
“What’s next...Ninja Gators (yess!)?” Eileen Morse wrote.
Concerns for the alligator’s safety were also expressed, and city officials assured commenters it doesn’t need to be rescued. Storm drains allow alligators to come and go, the city said.
“The alligators can easily navigate in and out of the storm water pipes without issue,” city officials told McClatchy News in an email. “We have many lakes and the Econlockhatchee River in the area and the pipes are pretty big so they wouldn’t get stuck.”
Alligators are native to Florida’s waterways, and can top 14 feet and 1,000 pounds, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports. May and June are mating season for the reptiles.
Oviedo is about a 20-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 7:34 AM with the headline "5-foot gator ‘just chillin’ in sewer stares back at camera, Florida video shows."