Alligator Nearly Bites Off Scientist's Arm as He Struggles to Fight Back

A 250-pound alligator nearly had itself a juicy snack in the form of a scientist's arm in North Carolina on Tuesday.

WCTI-TV reportedthe massive reptilian beast was roaming along a highway in Carteret County when the unidentified scientist from Pine Knoll Aquarium tried to corral it -- and nearly lost a limb in the process.

Cell phone video shows the alligator resting in a ditch off the side of the road while the scientist approaches. He steps over the animal, whose head is covered with a towel, and places one foot on each side of its body. As the scientist bent down to move it, the alligator bucked wildly, thrashing and sinking its teeth into the man's arm as he scrambles to get away.

A team from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission arrived two hours later to help relocate the alligator. Until they came, law enforcement officers and firefighters were called in to keep the animal at bay.

"That gator was in a position of advantage there in that ditch," biologist Robbie Norville told WCTI. "We had to coax him, get him to move somewhere flat where we could have the advantage. We were able to tie him up, secure his jaw closed. From there, it all went well."

The alligator was relocated to a swamp. The scientist was treated at a local hospital and was recovering at home.