Ever wished you could go up to an alligator and just give him a great big hug? Well, thanks to a nutty gator expert from Florida, now you can.

Gator Man Mike has recently moved from the Everglades to Naples, Florida and decided to give people from his new home the chance to really bond with alligators. The man is charging locals and tourists visiting Tin City $5 for the chance to share  a hug and get their picture taken with one of his pet alligators, and believe it or not business seems to be going ok. Although gators have a velcro nozzle on their snouts to make sure they don’t decide to take a bite out of paying customers, city officials did have some safety concerns and only allowed Mike to open his wacky business after he got a $1 million liability insurance.

Photo: Youtube

Gator Man says it’s not only safe for people, but contrary to PETA and other animal protection groups’ opinions the alligators actually like giving out hugs. “They’re smarter than people realize and they love their hugs contrary to what people believe. When you hug this guy he melts right into you because he likes that body heat,” Mike claims. The star of the show is Baby Bobby, a 5-year-old, 35-pound-heavy alligator, but Gator Man Mike also has smaller reptiles for clients crazy enough to let their kids hug one.

So if you’re ever in Naples, Florida, drop by Tin City and hug an alligator. It costs just 5 bucks and seems safe…kind of. Or, if you’re really hardcore, you could try alligator wrestling.

via Asylum