Crane 'escorts' alligator across Florida golf course in viral video

The crane was protecting its young, Drexler said. (Reuters)

While golfing in Florida last weekend, Eric Drexler noticed something rather unusual: a crane appeared to be “escorting” an alligator across the course.

But he later discovered the crane wasn’t being polite at all. The Sandhill Crane with a 6-foot wingspan was actually protecting its young as the gator crossed from one body of water to another.

“He was actually protecting his wife and baby. That is one devoted dad,” Drexler, of Port Charlotte, wrote on Facebook.

The crane’s behavior was anything but abnormal, however. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “cranes attack aerial predators by leaping into the air and kicking their feet forward. They threaten terrestrial predators by spreading their wings and hissing, eventually resorting to kicking.”

The birds typically nest in “small, isolated wetlands,” according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which added that Sandhill Cranes mate for life.

As of Thursday morning, Drexler’s video had more than 50,000 shares, 19,000 reactions and 1 million views.

Drexler did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on Thursday.