Orlando family finds itself feet away from stealthy alligator

ORLANDO, Fla. — Talk about too close for comfort.

A Lake Nona woman uploaded a video to Facebook of her family unknowingly playing in their backyard while an alligator was lurking just a few feet away.

The video from Nicole Mojica shows her 6-year-old son, Timmy, playing on a slip and slide with, coincidentally, an inflatable alligator toy.

The real gator is hard to spot at first -- it may take until the second viewing to see where it is. The video ends before anybody realizes the creature is close by. No one was hurt.

By Wednesday morning, the video had been viewed more than 700 times. By the afternoon, thousands had watched the clip.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, May and June are typically mating season for alligators. During this time, alligators may be out and about more frequently.

Mojica said she performs daily "gator checks" before allowing her children to play in the backyard.

"Then I saw the brown chair move. Oh my God," she said. "Never would I expect one so close to us. They say they are afraid. Well, he wasn't. And he went down the slip n' slide and into the pond."

Donny Aldarelli, a Gatorland expert, said mating season is followed by nesting season.

"They start roaming around," he said. "You find them in swimming pools. You find them underneath (cars). That's the time of year they are on the move a lot."

Aldarelli said an alligator spotted in a neighborhood has likely lost its natural fear of humans.

Watch the video below: 

Did you see it? (click below for a closer view)

Cox Media Group