Staff at a U.S. Air Force base in Florida had to bring in a front-end loader to remove an alligator that was lounging on a runway.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the large reptile was spotted Tuesday morning on a MacDill Air Force Base flight line. The base shared a photo of the creature on Facebook, saying the friendly alligator was just �preparing for take-off.�

MacDill spokesman 2nd Lt. Brandon Hanner says alligator sightings are common around the base, which is located on Tampa Bay. He says the alligator probably surfaced from one the base�s bodies of water.

The wing safety office�s wildlife manager organized the animal�s removal, scooping it into the bucket of the loader.

(AP)