In the beginning, Gunner and Richard Wilbanks were inseparable.
Gunner, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, curled up next to Richard at the breeder’s property in Miami, and that was all the two needed to begin their relationship.
Since moving to Estero, Florida, Richard and Louise have become a household name thanks to their constant companionship on the sofa or out on the lanai that overlooks a wild wildlife preserve.
On a Sunday morning in late October, Richard and Gunner went for a stroll by the pond next door to the Wilbanks’ house, putting their friendship to the ultimate test.
Richard and Gunner were strolling down the coastline, where an alligator was on high alert.
The almost 4-foot gator swam out of the water and snatched Gunner in a matter of seconds. Richard jumped into the water in pursuit of the dog and the gator that had it in its teeth.
A Florida guy is able to save his dog from an alligator’s jaws thanks to a wildlife camera.
Richard described the occurrence as “like a rocket.” Three feet away, it attacked like a snake. In the face of Gunner’s suffocating hold, I plunged in.”
For the last four years, Richard and Louise have lived in Estero.
Louise told me that the pair hailed from the middle Texas hill region. In Bonita Springs, Richard’s son Grant is an award-winning landscape architect, so the Wilbanks wanted to be near to family.
Richard informed the couple that the home in Estero was already occupied when they arrived. Their honeymoon in Texas was interrupted by a phone call from the realtor, who informed the newlyweds that their property had been taken off the market. As soon as they saw the opportunity, they jumped at the chance.
Richard added, “We fell in love with it.”
The Wilbanks’ house, tucked away at the end of their street, reflects the family’s affinity for the outdoors.
One of Gunner’s beds is situated in the family area, where seahorses and spoonbills are displayed on the wall. An embroidered heron and a big artwork of two great egrets keep an eye on the dining room.
That vista of the wildlife preserve was unobstructed, Louise claimed since Richard spent four years cultivating plants in his garden.
A panther and bobcats have been sighted by Richard and his family in the area.
To share our lives with nature, he continued, “is a good thing.”
The alligator that snatched Gunner is included in that optimism group.
On the other side of the pool is where he was last seen, Richard told me.
With his new leash, Gunner greets guests at the door with the enthusiasm only a puppy can muster.
A fresh lease on life, Richard remarked.
The Florida Animals Federation and the top Foundation installed cameras to monitor wildlife in the region, allowing Gunner and Richard’s heartbreaking effort to be recorded on tape.
Richard complimented FWF for the work they do. “And this shows that humans can coexist peacefully with nature.”
In Southwest Florida, Meredith Budd, FWF’s Southwest Florida spokeswoman, stated the Wilbanks street was quite welcoming to the cameras.
In all, there are 17 cameras installed on 15 homes in Estero as part of a program called Sharing the Landscape, in which the two groups work together to keep an eye on their neighbors’ properties.
When it comes to human-animal relations, “we both fundamentally share the same terrain, and homeowners who live in and near nature should realize the significance of wildlife surrounding them,” Budd said.
Shocking and heartwarming at the same time, this video serves as a reminder about the necessity of treating animals with care and taking the necessary steps to avoid a similar incident in the future.
According to Budd, this was the first time the federation has seen an occurrence like this on the cameras that they monitor on a regular basis.
To keep up with all of the images and movies that may be taken with a camera, you’ll need to use a lot of memory cards and batteries. She stated her desire to use solar power and cloud storage, but the finance is not yet available.
As a matter of fact, these cameras depict the relationship between humans and animals in their backyards.
Aside from sharing the same scenery, Budd noted that “we are seldom out there at the same time,” which is why he found the timestamps to be so intriguing.
There are wild creatures in Southwest Florida, and Budd says it is crucial to know what measures are necessary to minimize danger or confrontation.
This was a joyful ending tale for Richard and Gunner, he said.
Keep your dog on a leash and at least 10 feet away from the water, according to his instructions.
Watch the full video below…
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