Alligator shows up in Florida yard and bites man for trying to move it, FWC says
A Florida homeowner learned a painful lesson about the stubbornness of alligators when one came uninvited into an Englewood yard.
It happened just before 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, among the single-family homes on Tacoma Avenue. Englewood is about 85 miles south of Tampa.
“The property owner attempted to remove the alligator himself and sustained a bite injury to one of his arms,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a news release.
“A contracted nuisance alligator trapper was dispatched and removed the alligator from the premises.”
Station WINK reports the victim was a neighbor who came to help, after a woman found the “agitated” gator in her carport. “Someone had a broomstick and they used the broomstick to help pry open the gator’s mouth so he could get his arm out,” she told the station reported.
An investigation is underway. Details of the property owner’s condition were not released.
Wildlife officials estimated the alligator at 4 feet, 9 inches in length, which is on the small side in a state where the reptiles are known to reach 13 feet on average.
The alligator was euthanized, which is the standard procedure in bite incidents, the state says. “Generally, an alligator may be considered a nuisance if it’s at least 4 feet in length and believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property,” the FWC says.
The incident counts as the second alligator attack this year in Englewood, a community lined with the types of canals, creeks and small ponds that alligators enjoy.
In July, an 80-year-old woman was killed when she “fell into the water while trimming grass near the seawall of her home in the gated Boca Royale community,” The Daily Sun reported.
She was attacked by two alligators and trappers later removed the 8-foot, 10-inches long and 7-foot, 7-inches long creatures from the water, WPTV reported.
State guidelines call for people and their pets to keep a safe distance from alligators, and to call a Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286) if one becomes a nuisance.
“We will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation,” FWC says.
Alligators live in the lakes and waterways throughout all 67 of Florida’s counties, prompting countless safety warnings. That includes to not feed the alligators and to only swim in designated swimming areas during daylight.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Alligator shows up in Florida yard and bites man for trying to move it, FWC says."