This is the heroic moment a pensioner waded into a pond to save his puppy from the jaws of an alligator.

Richard Wilbanks, 74, was taking the dog, named Gunner, for a walk near his retirement home when the reptile leapt from the water in Estero, Florida.

The alligator grabbed the pooch, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and dragged it into the pond.

Richard bravely waded into the water to grab the alligator and prise open its deadly jaws to free the pet dog.

He succeeded and Gunner scampered away while the pensioner battled to extract his own hands from the creature’s mouth.

''It came out of the water like a missile,'' Richard told local media. ''I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick.''
The scene was captured by CCTV cameras set up by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fSTOP Foundation.

This project was started to study how humans and wildlife both share the same landscape.

A spokesman said: "We are fortunate to have such a strong group of homeowners who are participating and who understand the value of the wildlife that surrounds them.

''It is critical that people who live at the interface of wildland take extra precautions. Dogs should be leashed and both people and pets should avoid lingering at the edge of large retention ponds where alligators are known to occupy.''