Video shows alligator running away from Sandhill crane near Florida pond

Here’s something you don’t see every day! In a video recently shared on Facebook, an alligator is seen running away from a bird — yes, a Sandhill crane. 

The video begins with a gator emerging from a pond onto land, where a crane and geese could be seen standing nearby.

The crane immediately spotted the gator and appeared to react defensively by spreading its wings and squawking, stopping the gator in its tracks. 

The bird continued to make the same sound for a few more seconds and what happened next appears unusual. Suddenly, the alligator is seen turning around and running back into the water. 

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A similar incident happened around this time last year in Orlando. 

A crane took on an alligator at the Eagle Creek Golf Club by spreading its wings, seemingly keeping the gator off the cart path, while standing inches away from the reptile. (See video below.)

Are alligators afraid of cranes?

Savannah Boan, a crocodilian enrichment coordinator at Gatorland, previously told FOX 35 News: "Sandhill cranes don’t get afraid very easily, but what a Sandhill crane has is a secret weapon against alligators. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, so what do I look like if I do this? I look like a big ole human."

She also said it’s rare for alligators to target cranes.

"They are opportunistic predators, so they’ll grab one if they get close, but in a scenario like that, where there’s a small alligator like that and a huge looking Sandhill crane, the alligator’s always going to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a monster, I got to get out of here."