A Boston sports anchor tried to be a good sport earlier this week when he was holding an alligator.
WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton was taping an interview with reptile expert Michael Ralbovsky that is scheduled to air on Sunday.
Part of the segment required Burton to hold a small alligator, but he became more than a little flustered when the reptile started flailing in his hands.
CBS Boston reported that the alligator became skittish because it spotted a crocodile that was also on stage
However, Ralbovsky told HuffPost the gator was simply tired of being held.
“That clip doesn’t show the whole thing,” he said. “It was a segment lasting five or 10 minutes and the gator didn’t want to be held anymore.”
Frankly, we wouldn’t want a total stranger to hold us up in the air for 5 or 10 minutes either.
Burton didn’t mince words when he posted a short clip on Twitter, saying that his life flashed before his eyes.
But Ralbovsky said Burton was in no danger as the gator’s mouth had something on it to keep it shut.
“My wife, Joanie, was ready to grab the gator, but Steve lifted it higher than she could reach,” he said.
Eventually, the Ralbovskys got a hold of the gator, but Burton couldn’t wait to say “see you later.”
“That thing was so strong. I wasn’t fine!” Burton told CBS Boston.
This story has been updated with comments from Michael Ralbovsky.
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