The drone got too close to the gator and he grabbed it. After biting down on it. that’s when the battery explodes and hopefully after the smoke cleared, the gator will be alright. I do not believe the people with the drone intentionally were out to hurt the gator.

I can't watch, cruelty to animals has never appealed to me. To those who think it's funny..... you should seek counseling.

Agree....... they were just filming, just like all drone users do, and what better way to see a gator. If nothing had happened you all would of been apaulding the beautiful photos. It was an honest mishap, and I'd bet he's ok.
Personally, I don't like gators, I'm afraid of them, don't want to see on die, just scare the bejesus out of me....sharks too!

I think the video from the drone was saved.......................why not?

Some drone setups will save the photo/video feed to the controller in real time while saving a higher quality version on the drone, so might be possible to see video without recovering the drone.

It is because of stupid people like this that drones get a bad name.
The Drone Flyers Club here in The Villages has established very specific rules that are a part of our bylaws that specifically address and discourage flying that in anyway annoying or interacting with wildlife.
Unfortunately, this animal probably met its end because of the intense heat from the lithium battery burning.

Which brings up the question:
Seems people hate alligators so much they feel they should all die.

Question for you.

If you were the pilot and wanted a picture of the gator how high would you fly over the pond?

15-20 ft minimum - both vertical and horizontal, the video recorded is of high enough quality that digital zooming in the editing process would still yield a high-quality HD image without endangering the animal or equipment.