'Gator Crusader's Unique Touch Helped Animals During Hurricane Ian

Michael Womer aka "The Gator Crusader" goes out with the alligators during Hurricane Ian. Image courtesy of Gator Crusader/Youtube

As people in Florida were being evacuated before Hurricane Ian, Michael Womer was wading through the storm. However, Womer is not the storm chaser one might expect to capture dramatic images of the historic storm. Instead, he's gearing up to go down with some unlikely friends to ride out the storm.

Womer, also known as the "Gator Crusader", has worked with alligators throughout his 30-year career. In late September, he traveled to the Sancoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida, located several miles from the Gulf of Mexico and about 20 miles northwest of Tampa, to ensure alligators were kept safe during the storm.

"It was raining, a little windy," Womer told AccuWeather national reporter Tony Laubach. "I was a little worried for my safety, but at the same time, when I almost went into alligator care mode, all I could think was, 'let's take care of these amazing animals, let's make sure they are okay.' "

Womer doesn't just keep the crocodiles safe during Ian, he sings for them too.

This isn't the first time the Gator Crusader hums a reptile, and it certainly won't be the last.

"I've taught on the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve with all the fireworks in the sky, I can tell by their body language they must be anxious, they must be excited, and I've noticed if I stood there as everyone watched the fireworks go down. , when I sing to them, you can see how relaxed they are," said Womer.

Soothe them with an eclectic mix of music as he tends to the crocodile, from songs by The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin.

The Tampa area escaped the brunt of Ian's wrath when the storm made landfall near Fort Myers, Florida on September 28, but the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary was still not cleared.

Womer took about two days to clean out the crocodile enclosure after the storm, while singing for the reptile inhabitants of the sanctuary.

Womer tells Laubach that he is willing to evacuate the alligators if necessary to keep them safe during Ian's journey, which will likely be filled with music despite the radio being turned off.

Additional reporting by AccuWeather national reporter Tony Laubach.