A man gores viral after sharing the shocking moment he got bitten in the face by a baby alligator – as its mum watches on close by.

Keenan DeForest Williams, 26, has been an adventurer for as long as he can remember, and has always had a passion for walking, exploring, replies, rock climbing, fishing, and hiking.

He and girlfriend Alexis decided to go on a backpacking adventure in Florida, walking from point to point observing wildlife and camping wherever they fancied.

But the trip took a dramatic turn when he ended up getting nibbled by the gator mid-way through filming the animal.

“I was recording a baby alligator that was initially very calm,” Keenan, from Ohio, US, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“But then it grabbed ahold of my lip and all I could think was how impressed I was by this animal.

“He took a good shot and landed it, and I never got mad or upset because that’s what an animal is supposed to do, it’s just trying to defend itself for survival.

“I slowly and gently unclamped its jaws and the gator was released right back next to its mother who was waiting eagerly.

“My injuries were minimal – just a ring of tiny teeth marks that I was actually hoping would stay and scar up because it would be a pretty cool reminder, but it actually cleared and you can’t even tell.”

Keenan, who works for the water distribution department in his home town, went viral after sharing the footage on TikTok.

The video shows the gator latched onto Keenan’s lip, as he tries to slowly and carefully pull it off.

The mother alligator can also be seen in the pond next to them, looking on creepily, with her eyes just above the water.

The clip has gathered over 1.1 million views, 56,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

Zay commented: “Mama said ‘atta boy’.”

Rebi added: “The mother said ‘I taught my baby well’.”

Andrea said: “Mom watching proud.”

“I’d absolutely never get that close to a fully grown alligator,” commented Brookie.

“If that’s the baby's bite what about the mom’s bite,” said someone else.

“The mom looking at the dude like ‘ayo give my kid back’,” said another user. [sic]

Keenan added: “The reason it was able to bite me is because of how I handle most critters, how I see it is I go out of my way to find reptiles and amphibians for nature videos and photography, so it’s my duty to keep the animal as comfortable as possible.

“And a tight squeezing grip may seem like it makes more sense but not for me.

“Unless a bite from the animal can cause serious harm it’s handled very loose and gently, and if it bites me, I’ve never seen it as a big deal.

“I get bit by snakes constantly all summer, so it’s nothing new at all, because the same goes for snakes I find snakes and hold them comfortably for them not behind the neck which can stress them out.

“When they bite it’s just something I’ve gotten used to.”

ENDS

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