Kids were already in class by the time a deputy spotted the reptile.
A 7-foot-long alligator was captured by authorities after it was spotted lurking outside a Florida elementary school.
Read: Alligator Restrained by 2 Pairs of Handcuffs After It's Caught Breaking Into a Home
Police officials told InsideEdition.com the kids of Corkscrew Elementary School in Naples were in class when the animal was spotted at about 9 a.m. Friday morning.
“It’s breeding season,” public information officer Michelle Batten of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said. “People who live in Florida know to be mindful and cautious when you’re around bodies of water.”
She explained there was a manmade lake several feet from the school, and she believed that’s where the alligator emerged from.
“I wouldn’t call it a giant gator, but it was a decent-sized one,” Batten said.
Thankfully, Youth Relations Corporal Matthew Reichard was on scene when the alligator was spotted on the walkway and he was able to call animal control for assistance.
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In a video posted to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was able to capture the reptile and a trapper later arrived to take the alligator away.
Officials said the gator will be released to a nearby farm.
Watch: Gator Girl: 10-Year-Old Who Fought Off Alligator Reveals How She Cheated Death
