Video shows Florida alligator chasing after man as he tries to take a photo

A Florida man who left his hiking group to snap a picture of an alligator ended up being chased away and almost bitten by the beast.

The man strayed away to get a better shot of the reptile and invaded on the mama gator's space, according to the Palm Beach Post.

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In a short clip of the encounter, the man is seen setting up a tripod close to the gator before the animal charged forward, causing the man to run backward through a bush.

A couple of minutes later, as the gator began to return to the water, the man again attempted to grab his bag.

And the mother lurched forward for him once more.

SEE ALSO: Florida family finds massive alligator lurking in their backyard swimming pool

Luckily, the man walked away unharmed after the second time. According to Ben Boukari Jr., who posted the video, the "angry mama gator" was just defending her babies. The man attempting to take photos was standing off of the main boardwalk.

The video, which made its online debut June 17, has since been shared on Facebook over 1,600 times.

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