UNDATED (WHDH) -- Imagine going to work on a normal day and seeing an 8-foot long gator lounging outside! That's exactly what happened to one man in North Carolina and now he has quite the tale to tell.

North Carolina wildlife officers had to wrangle an 8-foot alligator out of a nursery in Cedar Point in Carteret County Thursday.

A landscaper stumbled across the 200-plus pound reptile as it sunbathed.

"Less than 500 feet probably from the Intercoastal Waterway, that alligator if it came up from the water had to have gone by three or four ponds, so we don't know if it was dumped or if it actually walked up from the coastline or what, but it was certainly a surprise and when he told me it was an alligator I was expecting a lizard,” said Judy Redfearn, the nursery owner.

This animal was far from a lizard and a first for Redfearn who has been in business for 45 years.

But this wasn't the first for wildlife supervisor Robbie Norville, who has wrestled one of these powerful creatures before.

"He probably thought he was camouflaged where he was at, and when the activity is such as it was here, you know, their instinct is to just sit down, wait, and let things calm down before they move,” said Norville.

This gator's speed and strength shocked the crowd as it took roll after roll.

Norville tossed the towel on his eyes and then made a hard, nerve-wracking process look simple.

“Back away, call the professionals, you know, and let us come in and handle the situation. We certainly don't want anyone to get hurt, you know, we have had someone get hurt earlier this year and we don't want that to happen,” said Norville.

Overall a good day for everyone, including the gator who is back to his natural habitat.