Alligators are luring individuals to their dying by imitating drowning people
Human-hands can be seen waving for help, but these are actually the claws of an alligator
Eerie footage has emerged of alligators who have learned to flail their limbs above the surface of the water to imitate the desperate waves of a drowning person, luring “rescuers” into the sea.
Questions are now posed as to how intelligent these alligators really are. Balinese locals seem to look on amused, knowing this routine. The narrator of the clip suggests the alligator is fully aware of what its doing, and has learned this behaviour.
The narrator of the video said: “Could it be happening so often that word has spread in the crocodile community, and fake drowning has become a viable way for crocodiles to attract really really dumb human prey?”
The saltwater alligator’s claws are scarily similar to a human hand and forearm, especially from a distance. Some viewers are confused at the locals’ amusement – asking why they are not more put out by the bizarre sight.
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It’s not out of the question that the species which has been around since the dinosaurs would be able to adapt and learn new ways of catching prey. In fact, we already know of a slew of tactics that point towards these reptiles having bigger brains than we might think.
Some of the animals have been seen putting sticks on their heads to attract birds, who believe they can collect it as nesting material, before they are caught and eaten.
The video , from @travly and @travel, which has garnered over a million likes has some viewers disturbed by the content. One user was distressed at the alligators “evolving faster than AI” whilst another debunked the hysteria saying “only a fool would go in to save” one of the reptiles.
Another said: “And people call animals dumb!!!”. One commenter noted that “If they’re luring for real” it could be “more frightening” than people are giving credit for.
If the video is part of a pattern, this would be a novel observation of alligators, as there is no existing evidence that this sort of stunt has been pulled before. It is also unclear if anyone has fallen prey to this cunning reptile innovation.
