Tarmac Takeover! Alligator Blocks Planes by Resting on Florida Runway and Resisting Capture

Though it put up a fight, the gator — dubbed "our newest toothy Airman" — was successfully wrangled off the tarmac at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa

A Florida alligator found an inconvenient place for a nap — beneath an Air Force plane!

On April 22, the reptile snuck onto a tarmac at the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and was caught on camera snoozing by the wheels of an airplane, photos shared by the base on Facebook show.

In one image, the animal relaxes next to the wheels of an aircraft. In another, it appears cozily nestled between two sets of plane tires, prompting a slew of hilarious social media comments.

Several joked that the lazing creature was the perfect candidate to guard the aircraft, writing things like, "Ramp security, Florida style!"

Related: Large Alligator Swims Out of Ocean and onto Alabama Beach Surprising Visitors — Watch!

"And I thought birds were a problem!" one user wrote, while another joked, "I said: 'Chock the wheels, not Crock the wheels!'"

The base shared an update later on April 22: the alligator was on the move.

The base called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for help wrangling the reptile. Two FWC employees came to pick up the animal and bring it to its natural habitat, but the gator did not cooperate.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a video shared by MacDill, the alligator thrashes as FWC officers attempt to wrangle and capture the crafty critter.

The clip continues with the officers grabbing the reptile with two leashes and wrapping them around the alligator's abdomen, but the gator wriggles and resists.

The 53-second video did not show the conclusion of the gator's epic tarmac takeover, but the base did indicate that the animal was eventually successfully removed from the tarmac.

Related: Massive Alligator Surprises Texas Beachgoers by Leaving Fresh Water to Sunbathe Oceanside

"Our newest toothy Airman has been relocated to a more suitable environment off base," the caption read, revealing elsewhere the FWC officers released the reptile near the Hillsborough River.

"Special thanks to FWC for the assist," the caption continued.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.