11-Foot Gator Invades Florida Family's Pool
Alligators can be stealthy creatures, and spotting them can be difficult until it’s too late

11-Foot Gator Invades Florida Family’s Pool

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APRIL 1, Sarasota County, FL – An April 1 call about a giant gator invading the family pool could’ve been dismissed as an April Fool’s prank in some places, but not in the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Home to an estimated 1.25 million alligators, the Sunshine State is no stranger to reptilian home invasion.

In fact, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was flooded with over 16,000 complaints involving alligators in 2016. In this case, the only unusual fact was the reptile’s size. Whereas the average Florida “offender” is 6.7 feet, this particular specimen measured an astounding 11 feet. And this mean visitor liked throwing his weight around.

“The 11-foot intruder didn’t gracefully make his way through an open door,” the sheriff’s office reported in a tweet. “He decided instead, to bust right through the screen.” The family made the call sometime after midnight, and a professional trapper was brought in to remove the unwelcome guest and release it back into the wild. No one was hurt, including the scaly late-night pool-crasher, during the trapping process. The sheriff’s office even humorously posted, “Just no” as the caption for accompanying photos and videos on Twitter.

The Saratosa Sheriff’s Office also posted pictures of the gator being released on Facebook after its little adventure in the suburbs.

If you live in any state or location where gators abound, “look before you leap” into any swimming pool, and check with your local authorities as to what sort of “gator-proofing” options you have to protect your family, pets and property against incursions like these. And should you see an alligator, stay well away from it and call 911.

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