12-foot-long alligator strolls across South Carolina golf course, ignoring human onlookers

— -- South Carolina's Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort had a surprise visitor to its golf course this week: A 12-foot-long American alligator.

Jessica Miller, the head naturalist at the Fripp Island property, posted a video of the menacing reptile on Facebook Tuesday, explaining that he "traveled down the 4th fairway of Ocean Point Golf Links at Fripp Island this evening!"

Even though the gator had a "small crowd of humans" watching him, he was unphased. "He paid us no mind and had only his next pond in his sights," Miller writes.

She adds, "We measured a spot in the grass where this big male laid down, and he measured just short of 12 feet!

Miller did have some words of caution for anyone who encounters such a beast. "If you ever see a gator travelling out of water, stay back and let him continue his journey," she writes. "It's amazing to be able to observe and coexist with these ancient giants, and respect is key!"

Every pond in the area has a sign warning that alligators are present, and locals are well-educated about how to interact with the creatures.

"We stress to people to give alligators their space and never to feed them," Miller told ABC affiliate WSOC-TV. "And because people respect these rules and respect the gators, we can coexist."