Estero, Florida - This shopping trip almost turned into a horror story when a giant reptilian visitor approached a shopping center in Lee County Florida!

Customers of the Coconut Point Mall were just about to run their holiday errands when some of them suddenly raised the alarm.

People began to panic as a huge alligator made its way through a pond not far from the shopping center.

Police and wildlife experts had to be called in to keep the 12-foot, 600-pound reptile in check!

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A video from the Lee County Sheriff's Office posted to Facebook shows how the skilled task force used their combined strength to maneuver the animal out of the danger zone.

According to the authorities, the "massive guy" was brought safely to a calm body of water far away from the shopping mall via golf cart.

The Lee County police did not miss the rare opportunity to pose for a photo with their "catch" before the animal's transport, however!

"It really never gets boring when you're on patrol here in Lee County, does it?" the officers wrote on Facebook.