Huntington, Virginia – A 6-foot alligator, escaping while being transported to a zoo, was found wandering outside a motel room early Monday, startling guests and prompting a swift police response.

Fairfax County police arrived at the Budget Host Alexandria motel on Richmond Highway after a guest reported the reptile near their door.

Bodycam footage captured officers’ shock, with one exclaiming, “Damn! That is an alligator!” as they spotted the creature strolling past Room 16.

The alligator’s owner was transporting it from New York to a North Carolina zoo and had stopped at the motel for the night, police said.

Virginia law prohibits possessing exotic animals like alligators, so officers and Animal Protection Police escorted the owner and reptile out of the county.

No charges were filed, and no injuries occurred, though one guest, warned to keep their dog inside, insisted on seeing the alligator up close.

The incident, shared on social media, left locals amused, with one X user joking, “The gator said, ‘Forget the zoo, put me in a motel.’”

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